Standing There By You
by EyesofEmerald
Summary: Join the Hogwarts gang as Sirius Black leads them through dangers using his cunning..ow, James! Sirius, you know this story is all about ME! Right Lily? POTTER! THIS STORY IS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU, YOU ARROGANT, EGO ::Remus covers head w pillow:: Just read.
1. Enchanting New Places

Standing There By You

Join the Hogwarts gang as Sirius Black leads them through love, dangers, and friendship using his cunning- ow, James! Sirius, you know very well this story is all about _me_, right Lily? POTTER! THIS STORY IS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU, YOU ARROGANT, EGO- ::Remus covers head with pillow::

::Author interrupts and introduces summary of her own::

This novel of a fic will go through the lives of the characters who remain most mysterious- Lily Evans and the Marauders- from first year until the start of the scar. The point of views will vary according to certain events; the Marauders' POV will be used mainly throughout second through fourth year, with the occasional mix of Lily and friends. The main goal of this story is to use J.K. Rowling's words to their fullest extent, all the while adding twists of my own. Amongst many adventures and late night escapades, affection and friendships prevail, testing the boundaries of loyalty and love. Please feel free to _strut_ along with the Marauders, recite Lily's much-too-familiar rants, and even join in on a prank or two. Hold on to your... keyboards... for this enchanted tale, and prepare for this long and twisted journey.

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recongnizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

Ch.1- Enchanting New Places

Lily Abigail Evans lay in her bed one warm summer night, staring wistfully at the pile of books beside her. Lily was a girl with many interesting characteristics. One was her appearance, having an uncommon shade of auburn hair and inquisitive green eyes that set her apart from others, and another was the fact that she always seemed to be absorbed in a novel of some sort. She loved reading in general, but her favorite books were always the ones that took her out of this world, and on wonderful adventures. After a particularly good story she could often be found daydreaming of enchanting new places, and being whisked away from her dreadfully boring life. Her heart longed for something amazing to happen, and she just knew that one day it would. Little did she know how soon that day would come.

"Ahhhhh!" Petunia's shrieks could be heard throughout the house. "Get that, that _thing_ out of my waffles!"

Lily walked slowly out of her room, wondering what her sister was on about now. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she began to make her way down the stairs, but stopped abruptly as an owl flew directly at her. Eyes wide, she blinked several times in surprise. It was, in London at least, very peculiar even just to see an owl in a tree, but in your house...

The owl dropped a letter onto her head, and flew off with a hoot, obviously annoyed at Petunia's previous antics. Lily grabbed the envelope, and looked it over. Amazed, she read:

Lily Evans

Upstairs hallway

London

She turned over the envelope with interest, and tore open the wax seal. A piece of parchment fell out, and she unfolded it carefully.

Lily thundered down the stairs, the letter still clasped in her hands. "Mum! Dad! Where are you? Come quick!"

"What is it Lily?" Mrs. Evans asked, walking over to her from the foyer. Lily handed her the letter, and her mum read it silently.

"Is something the matter?" inquired her father, joining the two. "Oh, you've received a letter."

"Yes, but.. well, read it dad."

Mr. Evans stood behind his wife, and read over her shoulder. After a few antagonizingly long minutes, they both looked up.

"Well..." prompted Lily.

The two adults shared a look before turning back towards their daughter. "Sweetheart," her father began, "I think somebody's playing-"

"What've you got there?" Petunia interrupted, and snatched the letter from her mum. She quickly scanned it, before snorting with laughter. "This is great! Wow, look how much detail they went into, there's even a map of how to get there." Glancing over it once more, she added as an afterthought, "I wonder who'd go through this much trouble for a prank."

Lily's heart fell. A joke, that's all it was. For a couple of blissful minutes she had actually thought it was real, the magical escape she'd been waiting for. The look of disappointment must have shown on her face, because Petunia laughed once more.

"You actually believed this?" she asked incredulously. "Wow, and I thought-"

"Petunia," Mr. Evans cut in sharply. Then softening his voice, he said to Lily, "Don't feel bad, whoever sent this..."

"Well, how do we know it's not real?" interrupted Mrs. Evans, looking back at the letter. Three heads turned towards her.

"What?!" exclaimed Petunia, as Mr. Evans began, "Now, dear, we don't want to make things worse, you know."

"Hmm, well to me it seems a little _too_ thought out for a simple joke, and look, even the seal goes along..."

"You truly think it's real, mum?" Lily asked excitedly.

"You know, even if it is a joke, it's a very good joke, and I think it deserves for us to at least play along. I'm off work tomorrow, and we don't have anything planned, so we'll set out for er-" she checked the letter before continuing, "Diagon Alley, after a quick lunch."

"Thanks mum." Lily said, loving her more than ever. "You're the best."

The next day Mrs. Evans and Lily entered the Leaky Cauldron, looking around apprehensively. Mrs. Evans grabbed her daughter's hand tightly, and walked over to a counter where two men sat drinking, and one man they assumed was the bartender was polishing glasses.

"Er- hello sir. Could you tell me, do you know anything about... well, just look." Mrs. Evans handed the bartender the letter Lily had received.

The man didn't even have to read the letter. He just smiled and asked kindly, "You're a muggle, eh ma'am?"

"Um.."

"Oh, silly me, of course ya are," the bartender chuckled, "but I suppose you wouldn't know if ya were, now would ya?" .

"No, I suppose I- uh, muggle did you say?" Mrs. Evans inquired.

"Yes, means ya've got no magical blood whatsoever." The bartender turned towards Lily. "Ah, but this young lady here's not a muggle. She'd be a witch. Lily is it?"

"Yes, er- I'm a witch, sir?" said Lily.

"Yeah, now you two follow me," he said, beginning to walk over to a large brick wall. He studied it for a moment, before tapping the bricks in some sort of sequence. Before Lily had a chance to ask what he was doing, the bricks all broke apart to reveal a busy street.

"Diagon Alley," Mrs. Evans and Lily chorused in awe.

"Yeah, that'd be it. Go on, I believe the second piece of parchment there has everything you'll be needin' for school, have fun now," the bartender departed, turning back to his customers.

Mrs. Evans held Lily's hand even tighter, as the two stepped onto the stone paved street. Lily held her breath, and heard her mother doing the same, taking in everything around her. All sorts of different people filled the alley, filing in and out of rather interesting looking shops and buildings. Lily and her mother turned towards each other wide eyed, each maintaining an expression of astonishment. The eagerness in her mother's eyes matched exactly what Lily was feeling, and smiles stretched across their faces as they stepped into the flow of the crowd. They walked down the street in wonder, captivated by all of the intriguing sites that surrounded them. Lily's smile grew wider as she spotted something pleasantly familiar.

"Look mum," said Lily, stopping in front of Flourish and Blotts, "there's a book store. Shall we start there?"

And that is how the rest of their day went, as they walked along the alley Lily or her mum would spot a shop they would need to purchase from, and they would stop there. It was by far the most interesting day Lily had ever had, and the whole thing seemed to be a wonderful dream. One of her favorite events of the day had to be when she bought her wand, 'Springy, made of willow. Wonderful for Charms, young miss,' the old man had told her. Wondering what the heck Charms was, she couldn't wait until she could get home and read all of her new books.

When they arrived back home with all of Lily's new school supplies, it caused quite an uproar. Petunia still refused to believe it, and made a terrible fuss. Her complaining and bantering made Lily think September the first just couldn't come soon enough. Lily filled the rest of the summer with reading; she wanted to know everything and anything there was to know about the Magic World. Hoping desperately that she wouldn't be too far behind all of the other students (for they had known of their magical capabilities their whole life, and she only a week), she anxiously awaited her first day of school.

A/N: Thanks for reading,Hope you enjoy, read and review!!


	2. Platform 9 and what?

Standing There By You

Ch. 2. Platform 9 and _what_?

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recongnizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

As Lily and the Evans' walked into the train station, Lily's heart beat uncontrollably and her stomach seemed to be doing summersaults. Looking at her ticket, she noticed something unusual.

"Mum?" said Lily.

"Yes, dear?"

"It, well it says platform 9 3/4," said Lily.

"Let me see that," said Mr. Evans. "Hmm.. so it does. Well I suppose we'll go to Platform 9 and 10 then, and check it out."

They reached those platforms, but saw no sign of Platform 9 3/4. Lily looked around, to see if anyone had the same predicament as she. Seeing that she only had 20 minutes until the train left, she began to worry.

"Ha! I told you it wasn't real. I can't believe you all fell for..." Petunia trailed off as a family walked by, one carrying an owl, and all dressed very unusually.

"Sir? Excuse me, Sir?"

A very tall man turned around, and looked down at Lily. "Yes?"

"Um, I was just wondering, you don't know anything about Platform 9 3/4, do you?"

He smiled broadly and asked, "Muggle-born, are you? Well, my daughter Margie would be happy to show you through, if you'd like."

"Oh, yes," said Lily. "Thank you very much, let me just go tell my parents and I'll be right back."

Lily gave her father a quick kiss on the cheek, then she hugged her mum tightly. "They said they'll take me through, so I'll see you at the holidays, then."

"Bye, sweetie," said her mum, choking back tears. "Don't forget to write."

"I won't mum, don't worry. Bye then!" Lily yelled over her shoulder, catching up with the family once again.

"Okay, now all you have to do is run through Platform 9, and Platform 10," he said, as if running through walls was an everyday occurrence.

"Um, that's, er- that's a brick wall," stated Lily.

"Just trust me, here, I'll have Margie go first." A tall girl with very curly brown hair walked over to her. "Marge, this is.."

"Lily, Lily Evans."

"Ah, you're a first year, then?" asked Margie.

Lily nodded, and Margie smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm in 5th year; a Gryffindor Prefect. If you ever need anything, just ask me.

"Okay, now this is really quite easy, just watch me," said Margie, and before Lily knew it, she had disappeared behind the wall.

Lily gaped at the wall, and the tall man nudged her shoulder. "Okay, now you do the same."

Lily took a deep breath, closed her eyes and ran towards the wall. Not feeling the expected crash of her cart, she slowly opened her eyes. In front of her stood a huge scarlet train, and many families all saying good-bye to their children.

"There, you see, it wasn't that bad," said Margie. "Now just get on the train, and pick a compartment. I see my friends, so if you don't mind..."

"Oh, go ahead. I'll be fine thanks," Lily said quickly, not wanting to be more of a bother than she already was. Margie gave a grateful smile and then hurried off to her fellow classmates.

Starting toward the train, Lily made to step on, when out of nowhere something came whizzing right past her, brushing roughly against her shoulder.

Catching her off guard, she fell to the ground, banging her head against the hard stone floor. Lifting her head up, she dizzily spotted a young boy with messy black hair jumping onto the train. Shocked that he could possibly be so rude, she got up in a huff, angrily dragging her trunk onto the train.

Walking down the row of compartments, she found an empty one and settled in. Just as she was about to sit down, a girl popped her head into the compartment and looked around.

"Oh, hello!" the girl greeted happily, stepping inside. She had straight black hair that was pulled back into a messy bun, bright blue eyes and was a bit taller than Lily. "My name's Grace Shadren, what's yours?"

"Lily Evans. Would you like sit with me?" she asked, all angry thoughts of the rude boy now vanished.

"Sure!" said Grace, smiling widely, and plopping down besides Lily. "So, are you in first year?"

Yup," said Lily. "How about you?"

"Uh-huh. I can't wait. I've lived with my muggle parents all my life, I was adopted, but just a year ago my aunt came by and told me I was a witch, and we've spent the whole summer together. She's told me all about the Magic World, and all about Hogwarts, too. Do you know which house you want to be in?"

Lily was a bit taken a back at the girl's brief synapses of her life, and before she had the chance to answer, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Grace called.

A timid looking girl with wavy strawberry blonde hair and honey eyes peeked in. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know if anyone was in here, I'll just go-"

Nonsense!" said Grace. "You can stay with us, if you'd like."

The girl's scared face broke out into a smile. "Alright." She took a seat across from the other girls and set down her trunk. "My name's Julie Taylor."

"Hello Julie. My name's Grace, and this is Lily. I saw you walk in with your mother before."

"Yup. My dad and my sister were outside the barrier, they're muggles," Julie replied.

"Ah," Grace said, before, turning towards Lily. "What about you? I didn't see you walk in with anybody."

"Yes well, both of my parents are muggles," Lily informed them. Just then the train gave a sudden lurch, which just happened to match the lurch that had just appeared in Lily's stomach. Biting her lip, she nervously looked out the window at the quickly passing scenery, feeling as if a dozen butterflies had just been let loose inside her.

A few moments of silence passed by, before Lily finally asked what had been on her mind for at least a month. "You- you don't think I'll be, you know.. behind, do you?"

"No, definitely not," Julie spoke up quickly. "Don't worry, you'll learn everything you need to know in no time, and if you have any questions, we'll be sure to help." She gave Lily a reassuring smile, and across from her Grace nodded enthusiastically.

Lily returned their smiles with a very grateful one, and felt most of her nervousness disappear.

Soon the three girls began discussing the houses they'd like to be in, and all of the different rumors they'd heard about them. They carried on numerous conversations for a good hour or two, chatting along happily about anything and everything. About halfway there, Lily announced that she had to use the restroom, and made her way down the train. Just before she reached it, a compartment door sprung open, and out came the boy she had 'met' previously before.

"You," said Lily, glaring at the messy haired boy.

"Er- hello. Have we met?"

"Sure we've met! Don't you remember? You nearly knocked me unconscious before you got on the train," Lily informed him angrily.

"Well maybe _you_ shouldn't have gotten in the way," the boy retorted, arching up his right brow.

"What!? I was just walking towards the train, and you ran right into me!" Lily exclaimed, astonished at how stupid this boy was being.

"Well then there's your problem. Next time you shouldn't walk where I'm going." He turned back into his compartment and shut the door, leaving behind a very agitated Lily.

"Argh!!" Lily shrieked angrily, before heading back towards the bathroom. "As, soon as I learn a good hex, I swear..."

"You know, I don't know what her problem is," James said calmy, not peturbed in the least by Lily's angry actions.

Sirius raised his eyebrows.

"I mean, any girl would be happy to even touch me, and that girl just got a full fledged body slam," James explained.

"I know mate," Sirius said, putting on a mock confused face. "Must be off her rocker."

James Potter and Sirius Black had been close friends since they had met the previous year at a Quidditch camp. Both had a bold mischievous streak in them; pranks and girls were their specialties, and they intended to keep it that way.

A/N: I love you guys! I just posted 2 seconds ago and I already got 2 reviews! wooo! Please hold a moment while I jump around the room in glee.

RoamingPony- MY FIRST REVIEWER EVER! I looooove you! okay, sorry, a bit excited here. Anyways, thanks and I'll post more soon!

MurasakiNeko- MY SECOND REVIEWER EVER! I loooove you! not as much as my first reviewer... just kidding! alrities, off to write more!


	3. Of Goblets and Giggling

Standing There By You

Ch. 3- Of Goblets and Giggling

Disclaimer: Not mine in the least.

A/N: Special thanks to Padfootz who informed me after 34 chapters of a blunder in this chap : )

After a rather interesting boat trip across the lake, the first years gathered in the entrance of the Great Hall, waiting for the Sorting Ceremony to begin. Lily read all about the four different houses in Hogwarts, A History, and decided she would like to be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, but as long as she didn't get into Slytherin she'd be happy.

A middle-aged lady, with dark brown hair wrapped in a tight bun, directed them into the Hall. She introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, and then placed a rather old and frumpy looking hat onto a tall stool. To their surprise, the hat started singing through a slit near the bottom. It sang about all the different houses, and when it was done, the hall burst into applause. Pulling out a long piece of parchment, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and read, "Adams, Mark."

A red-haired boy stepped up to the hat and shakily put it on his head. After a few moments of silence, the hat yelled, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The boy scurried off the chair, and over to the cheering Hufflepuff table.

"Black, Sirius."

Lily noticed that even he looked a bit nervous, as he placed the hat over his head.This time the hat took a considerably longer time to deliberate his fate, but finally it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

A mixed look of astonishment, relief and apprehension washed over Sirius's face, as he gave a quick grin and walked over to his fellow Gryffindors.

"Daniel, Creig."

A boy who was a bit taller than the rest of the first years strode up to the stool. "RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat, and Creig took a seat at the applauding table to their left.

"Evans, Lily."

Lily smiled nervously at her two new friends, before stepping up to the hat.

"Hmm... studious, very studious, I see. Ravenclaw, perhaps? But wait, oh, wait. Such determination you have! There's only one place for this..."GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily hopped off the stool and to the cheering Gryffindor table, where she saw Margie clapping hard.

Fraskin, Robert was sorted into Slytherin, Joskins, Marie and Lunier, Nicolette into Ravenclaw, and Pettigrew, Peter into Gryffindor. Lily groaned at the next name to be called.

"Potter, James."

Just as soon as the hat touched his head, it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius gave a whoop of joy, applauding loudly for his friend. Cursing her luck, Lily scowled as he took a seat across from her.

"Fancy meeting you here," James greeted.

Lily tossed him a sacrastic smile. "Wish I could say the same," she replied.

James just winked at her before turning his attention back to the sorting.

"Snape, Severus."

A scrawny boy with greasy black hair stepped up to the hat. It waited a few moments before announcing "SLYTHERIN!"

James leaned over to Sirius, "Knew that was coming."

"Shadren, Grace."

Lily watched nervously as Grace stepped up to the hat, and placed it confidently on. Crossing her fingers under the table, Lily's heart leapt as "GRYFFINDOR!" was yelled across the hall, and Grace took a seat beside her. She gave Lily a quick hug before turning to watch for their other friend.

"Taylor, Julie."

Julie paled, and walked cautiously up to the hat. Lily and Grace gave her a thumb's up before she disappeared under the wide brim. The hat took a few seconds to decide, but finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Julie grinned as she ran over to the Gryffindor table, where her two friends were cheering loudly. The three girls talked excitedly as several more students were sorted, until finally the ceremony was over.

A tall man with a long white beard stood up at the teachers' table, and the students were silent. "Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts!" The students applauded, and the old man patiently waited until the noise died down. When all was quiet again, he continued, "As always, the Forbidden Forest-"

The Great Hall doors swung open loudly, abruptly stopping his speech. Standing behind the doors was a very pale, and very nervous looking young boy. He opened his mouth to say something, but no noise came out.

"Ah! Of course, welcome Mr. Lupin." Dumbledore greeted him with a warm smile. "Professor McGonagall, if you don't mind."

Giving him a curt nod, Professor McGonagall placed the hat back on the stool. The boy walked up to the hat in a hurry, obviously eager to get it over with. It didn't take long before the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" and the boy sat at the only empty seat available at the table, which happened to be the end opposite of the other first years.

"Pity," Sirius said to James. "I would've liked to ask him how he made such an entrance." James nodded, and was about to respond when Dumbledore began talking once more.

"Anyway, as I was saying a moment before, the Forbidden Forest is absolutely off limits, and there will be no magic in the corridors. Also, new to Hogwarts is the addition of a Whomping Willow. I suggest that you avoid this particular addition if you do not wish to suffer a most grievous beating." Dumbledore's serious expression swiftly turned into a lighthearted one. "Now that that's all said and done, let's eat!"

Just as he spoke his last words, food appeared on the table out of nowhere. Lily's mouth dropped open, but everyone else just began sorting the food. "That's Professor Dumbledore," Grace informed Lily, while she cut apart her chicken. "He's the Headmaster, and a very advanced wizard."

"My mum says we'd be lost without him," put in Julie, and Grace nodded in agreement.

Lily nodded, taking in any information she could with interest. After everyone was done eating, and the last of the treacle pudding vanished, everyone was dismissed and the Prefects led the First Years to their Common Rooms.

"Oh, look!" said Lily, pointing at the portraits. "They move."

Julie grinned at Grace before saying, "Yes, all photos and pictures in the Magical world do. It must be-"

"Ooooh," squealed James, imitating Lily. "Look, look at the pretty pictures!"

"Shut up, Potter," shot Lily.

"Okay, okay. How come your so amazed anyways? It's just a couple of paintings."

"Well, the ones back home don't move, that's all," Lily replied defensively.

"Oh, you're muggle-born then," said James.

"Great," drawled a cold voice from behind them. "That old crackpot's invited more Mudbloods to this school, has he?"

Five first years whipped around. Before any of them knew it, James had grabbed the older boy by the collar. "What did you say, Malfoy?"

The boy just shrugged him off, and sneered. "You heard me. Great, more filth..." he muttered under his breath, but turned and made his way toward his own common room. James made to go after him, but Lily grabbed the back of his robes.

"Who's he?" asked Lily.

"Old family friend," Sirius growled.

"Oh," furrowing her brow, she asked. "What was that thing he said... um, Mudblood, I think it was."

Making a face, Grace answered, "Just a nasty way of saying Muggle-born."

"You see, Lily," started Julie, "it really doesn't matter at all whether you're Muggle-born or not, but well... some people are just prejudice, I guess."

Lily bit her lip, thinking this was going to be harder than she'd imagined. She gave a small, "Oh," as the group walked fast to catch up with the other Gryffindors.

James looked over and saw her worried face. "You know, that guy, he's just a git-"

"I don't wish to talk to you, Potter," Lily said, cutting him off.

"What?" James asked, taken aback.

"I'm still mad at you. You never did apologize for before, and you acted like a jerk to me on the train," Lily snapped.

"So? I just defended you back there-"

"Who said I needed defending?" demanded Lily.

"Well, isn't it obvious? I mean, you _are_ a girl," James stated matter-of-factly.

"So?!"

"So, girls need rescuing. They're weak."

"Why you..." Lily fumed, and she then promptly stepped on his foot.

James yelped in pain. "Ow! What the heck did you do that for?"

"I don't know what's going on in that miniscule brain of yours," said Lily, poking him in the head, "but next time you think about _rescuing_ me, well, think again. I can stand up for myself, thank you very much."

Lily stomped off to where her friends stood, just as the Prefects halted.

"This," said Margie, pointing to a portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress, "is your common room entrance. There's a password that we change every so often that you must say to get it. For now, it's Mocking Bird." When she spoke the password, the Portrait swung open, revealing a hole for them to crawl through. The Gryffindors went one by one, all piling into the common room. A plush, scarlet carpet that lay beneath their feet, various pieces of comfy looking furniture, two oak staircases and a blazing fire made up the room.

"Over here," said a boy standing beside Margie, "is the boys' staircase, that leads up to the dormitories. And over here," he gestured to the other side of the room, "is the girls' staircase, which of course leads up to the girls' dormitories. If you have any questions or comments come find us, my name is Carl Dipierro, and this is Margie Hughes. You may go up to your dormitories now, your trunks have already been brought up."

Lily, Grace and Julie walked up the girls' staircase, and stopped at the room marked First Years. Stepping in they saw two other girls already there, one with short blond hair and one with dark brown. The girls sat on a bed and seemed deep in conversation, waving their hands around animatedly.

"Oh, hello," greeted the one with short blond hair, spotting the three girls. "My name's Angie, and this is Val."

The girl she introduced as Val turned to face them and said, "Hi. We were just talking," the two girls giggled, "about Sirius Black-"

"And James Potter," Angie quickly put in. "We saw you talking to him, I'll bet he's like, a million times more gorgeous up close, right?"

"No," Lily scowled, "James Potter is a great prat."

"What?!" Angie gasped, clutching her heart.

Lily, Grace and Julie rolled their eyes and walked over to their beds, beginning to unpack their trunks. Val rushed over to her friend, frantically waving her hand in front of her face.

"It'll be okay Angie, she doesn't know what she's talking about," Val soothed, trying to calm her hysterical friend.

"Yes I do," Lily mumbled from across the room. Grace and Julie laughed as Angie glared.

Val stood up and walked over to the three girls. "Well _I_ personally prefer Sirius," she said, a dreamy look passing over her face. "Oh, those dazzling eyes, adorable black hair that accents his features perf-"

"Please stop," said Grace, looking disgusted. "If you say much more, I'm afraid I'm going to be sick."

"Humph." Val crossed her arms, and stomped back over to Angie. The two girls began avidly talking again, agreeing that the other three were just mental.

"Ah, here it is," said James, walking into their dormitory. He sat down and stretched lazily across his bed. "Yup. This will do just fine."

Sirius nodded and sank into the one to the right of James'. The small boy that had arrived late appeared at the door.

Sirius shot up. "Hello!" he said, smacking his shoulder. The boy teetered wearily. "I'm Sirius, and this is James. Smashing entrance back there, how'd you do it?"

"Oh, you know, uh- just missed the train, that's all."

Sirius looked a little disappointed. "Oh. Well, that's still brilliant mate, er- what did you say your name was?"

"Remus Lupin," he answered, and Sirius shook his hand.

"Ah, nice to meet you."

"You to-" A rather plump (A/N: fat, disgusting, evil, balding, back-stabbing, good for nothing) boy stumbled into the room and knocked into Remus, cutting him off.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that," the boy apologized.

"Who are you?" James asked.

"Peter. P-Peter Pettigrew. I'm a first year."

Sirius and James exchanged a look.

"Well of course you're a first year," said James. "You're in the first year dormitory, aren't you?"

"Oh, right."

"Well anyway, I'm James, this is Sirius, and that's Remus."

"Pleasure," Peter squeaked.

"So," Sirius started, turning to James, "I saw you getting a little friendly with that red-head over there."

"Evans? Yeah, right. She's a downright prick, if you ask me," said James, still angry about his wounded toe.

"Awww, is Jamsie-boy upset because his Potter charm's not working?" Sirius teased.

"Oh, you just wait. She's just a defect, that one. Soon enough I'll have girls crawling all over me."

"Right," Sirius grinned, dodging a pillow James chucked across the room, "What_ever_ you say."

A/N: Hey, thanks to all my reviewers,

Magical Muggle

Irish Maiden

Jess

Kaycee

Aerandir

I luv ya! READ AND REVIEW!!!


	4. No Poking Zone

Standing There By You

Ch. 4- No Poking Zone

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hearby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, i looove you!

kawwai-kitsune- Mucho thanks! Yeah, don't worry, Lily will _always_ be strong and a feminist throughout my story- and I'll try to include as little Peter as possible. 

Ruby- totally agree : )

RavenSiriusBlack- Wow, a review for each chapter! hehe, thanks bunches, and _of course_ there will be more Sirius.. (he's my fav. too)

Magical Muggle- Hey, thanks a million, and i luv Val and Angie too (*wink-wink*) : )

Aerandir- thanks, you make me feel so special! I can't wait to read the next ch. for Harry Potter and the Final Request- you keep your updates coming, and I'll keep mine!

Jess- here's more, thanks for the review!

"These are you're class schedules," Professor McGonagall said briskly, handing them to each student at the Gryffindor table. 

Grace examined hers and looked over at Lily and Julie's. "Oh good, we've got all the same classes." She scrunched up her nose, "Darn, Potions with Slytherins."

"Oh but look, we've got Charms this morning," Lily pointed out eagerly, "I can't wait for that one."

Julie nodded. "Yes, and we have it with the Ravenclaws, that's good."

The girls decided to get a head start so they would make it to their first class on time. It was a good thing, too, because moving staircases and long twisting corridors got in the way a bit, and by the time they reached the classroom they barely had two minutes to spare.

"Welcome, welcome," a high pitch voice squeaked, from somewhere behind a large desk. A very short man climbed up onto his chair, and stood before the class. "Ah, that's better." He brushed off his robes and took out his wand. "I am Professor Flitwick. Today we will be learning the simple Commutatus Charm, a charm used to change the color of any solid object. I have provided the objects today," he gestured over to a large bin of bouncy balls, "everybody, please take one." 

The class each selected a bouncy ball, and went back to their seats. "Now, first watch me." Professor Flitwick held an orange ball in front of him, and jerked his wand a bit. "_Commutatus!_ " he shouted, and the bouncy ball turned a vibrant yellow. "Alright, now you try, but make sure you have the exact pronuciation or it will not work properly," he added.

Random shouts of "Commutatus!" rang throughout the room, some students successful, and some not. Lily took a deep breath before trying hers. Eyeing the red ball before her, she raised her wand and shouted the spell. To her delight it turned a deep green. 

"Good job!" congratulated Grace, as she tried it herself. Her's changed from gray to violet. "Ooh, my favorite color."

Julie grinned for her friend, and then in achievement as hers turned a brilliant pink.

"What are these things any way?" A nearby Ravenclaw inquired. She was clearly a pure-blood witch that was not regularly associated with muggle items.

"They're bouncy balls," Lily informed her. "People in the magic world must not have them, I assume, if you don't know of them."

"_Bouncy_ balls?" the girl repeated.

"Yup. See, watch." Lily dropped her ball onto the desk and it shot straight back up in the air. 

Lily put her hand out to catch it, but it bumped against her thumb, bouncing in the opposite direction.

"Oops!" said Lily, as she darted after her bouncy ball. To her great misfortune it was caught by somebody else..

"Tsk, tsk Evans," James said, shaking his head. "Fooling around in class when you should be working. And I would've thought better of you."

"Just give me the ball."

"Why should I?" asked James, tossing the ball lightly in his hands. "No, no I think I'll keep it."

"Give it back!" Lily reached forward to grab the ball, but James was too quick. "Sirius, catch!"

He threw the ball at Sirius and he caught it with ease. Lily stuck out her hand. "Sirius, give it to me."

Sirius grinned and looked as if he were about to give it to her, but at the last second he threw it above her head at James.

"Aargh! Give it to me _now _Potter, don't make me do something you'll regret!" Lily threatened.

James laughed in her face. "_You_ do something to _me_?!"

"Are you going to give it back?" Lily asked angrily.

"Nope."

"_Commutatus!_ " Lily exclaimed, and in a flash James' robes were a lovely shade of magenta.

His eyes widened and he dropped Lily's ball in shock. Lily grabbed it and waited, expecting James to start yelling. Instead, he calmly brushed off his sleeves and looked up at Sirius.

"I don't know, what do you think?" 

"Hmmm..." Sirius said, stroking his chin. "Magnificent! Pink is definitely your color. It goes marvelously with those big brown eyes of yours."

"Oh!" James said in a high pitched voice. "Stop, your making me blush." 

Lily gave a frustrated sigh before she turned and walked back to her seat, muttering something about boys being incredible gits.

"Yuck, turn that back," said Sirius, once Lily had left. "You're making me sick."

James stuck out his lower lip. "But you said it accents my big brown eyes."

Sirius cocked his head to the side, studying James. "Nah, they're more of a hazel. Pink totally clashes."

******

"My name is Professor Binns, and I will be teaching History of Magic." The first years were congregated in a rather dingy class-room, for their second class of the day. The Professor, who was a very old and frail looking man, barely paused before continuing on. "While 320 BC was a time of commerce and prosperity for western Europe, it was a time of dread and despair for..." 

Lily quickly got out her parchment and began writing rapidly. Most of the class took some notes too, but occasionally drifted off, staring blankly into space.

From behind the girls, James exhaled deeply. "Boy, this is going to be a bore," he whispered loudly to Sirius. 

Sirius nodded. "Yup. Can't imagine what we could do all this time."

"How about take notes?" Remus muttered, scribbling furiously.

Sirius made a face. "Now why would we want to do that?" 

The two boys started talking about the up-coming Quidditch season, for about the next half hour or so. As they wondered out loud how bad the Slytherin team was, Lily finally gave a sigh of frustration. "Would you guys shut up?" she hissed, not looking up from her notes.

"You know, if you write any faster Evans, your hand just might fall off," James replied, still not bothering to keep his voice down.

"Just... take... notes." Lily instructed sternly.

"Yes mum," replied James, and he and Sirius laughed. Lily just ignored them, trying her best to concentrate on what Professor Binns was saying. A few seconds of too good to be true silence passed by, interrupted by James giving Lily a poke on the back. "Evans..." She didn't answer, so he poked her some more. "Ev- ow!"

Lily spun around and grabbed his finger in mid-poke. "What!?"

"Uh-oh, you're in trouble now!" Sirius sang. "This is obviously a no _poking _zone, eh Lilykins? Haha, get it?" he then preceded to laugh hilariously at his own joke.

Lily took a deep breath to try and calm herself. "_What_ do you want?"

"Do you have a quill?" James asked, grinning, "I seem to have forgotten mine." 

"Pot-"

"And that will be a key part of your final exam," droned the Professor, "Essential, very, very important. That is all, you are dismissed." 

"What?" Lily asked frantically, swerving back around. "I missed it, what did he say?"

"I don't know," said Julie, folding up her notes and putting them in her bag. "I must have dozed off."

"What about you Grace?" Lily said desperately, turning towards her other friend. Grace just gave a yawn and shook her head no. "Great, this is just great." Lily said, slamming down her bag and stuffing in her quill and parchments. "Now I'm going to fail, and it's all your fault Potter, I swear-"

James and Sirius just rolled their eyes and started to walk out of the classroom. "Relax, Lily," Remus said, stepping over to the raging red-head. "I've got it." He handed her his notes, and she took them, surprised.

She copied the missed information down, and handed the parchments back to him. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, they made their way out of the room. "Thanks. It's nice to know at least one other person cares about their grades."

"Sure," Remus responded, as they emerged into the hallway. Up ahead James and Sirius were laughing loud and rudely at a joke one of them had just made.

Lily looked up at the ceiling. "I don't see how you can put up with those two. You don't seem like the type-"

"They're my friends," Remus said firmly. 

Lily shrugged. "Okay. Well thanks again for the notes. See ya." Remus nodded and Lily headed off to her friends, and he to his.

A couple days later the four first year Gryffindor boys sat around their dormitory, Remus reading a book, and James and Peter playing chess. Sirius speculated them for awhile, but James was so much better than Peter it wasn't even worth watching. 

"I'm so bored!" Sirius said dramatically, falling back onto his bed.

"Well let's do something then," suggested James.

"Can you think of anything?"

A mischievous glint sparkled in James' eye. "Sure I can think of something. You guys up for it?"

"Yeah!" said Sirius and Peter eagerly.

"What?" Remus asked apprehensively, "What are you going to do?"

"Well," James replied, smiling, "Evans seems to like colors so much, so why don't we give her a few er- unique ones of her own."

"Sounds good," said Sirius, hopping off his bed.

"Uh, are you sure about this?"

James looked at Remus as if he were crazy. "Sure about what?" 

"Um, sure- sure that it's enough, that's all," Remus quickly recovered.

"Hmm, you know you're right. Let's get her friends too."

Sirius laughed and rubbed his hands together. "Alright, so it's set then. We'll do it tonight, while they're sleeping."

*VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT A/N:

Okay, so not next chapter, but the chapter after that (ch.6) I plan to.. basically skim past 2 seasons in one paragraph. (ch. 7 will be the last chapter for year one) I know that's kind of odd, going from their first week of classes to.. well basically exams,(with a few things inbetween) but I REALLY want to get to the good stuff! (You know, the later years like 4-7.. I've already got loads written) I promise whole-heartedly that second year will _not_ skim over stuff like that, nor will any other year, but I'm dying for the good parts. So, if you could please please review your opinion, I'd be very grateful. Thanks bunches, bye!

*~REVIEW~*


	5. Brilliance and Wit

Standing There By You

Ch.5- Brilliance and Wit

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hearby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

Lily woke up early the next day, the rising sun shining brightly in her face. She stretched and yawned loudly before pushing the covers off and scuffling out of bed. Grabbing her uniform and a towel, she headed off towards the bathroom.

"Ahhhh!!!" Lily screamed, waking the rest of the dormitory.

"What is it Lily?" Julie asked, rushing over to her friend.

"Ahhhh!!!" A second scream sounded from the bathroom.

"Is something the matter?" Grace asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes. She stepped into the bathroom to face her two very funny looking friends.

"Whoa, what happened to you guys?" Grace asked, touching Julie's hair. "Oh, my..."

"Grace, you look like that too." 

"What!?" Grace exclaimed, hurrying over to the mirror. She stared at her reflection, and saw her normally black hair was now a shocking purple.

"What is all the noise?" Angie whined, peeking her head into the bathroom. "Oh..My..Gosh.. Val, get over here, quick!"

"What is it?" Val asked grumpily, not at all happy about being woken up so rudely.

"Look," Angie said, pushing her towards the other girls.

Val's eyes widened. "OHMYGOSH! I don't look that way, do I?" she squealed, and began frantically fingering her hair.

"No, do I?" Angie asked, trying to roll her eyes so she could see her short locks.

"No."

"Phew..." the two girls sighed in relief. 

Lily, Grace and Julie stared at them incredulously. Shaking her head, Lily looked back into the mirror. "Oh, what are we going to do?" She moaned, running her fingers through her unnatural green locks.

"My hair is _pink_. My hair is _pink_." Julie repeated over and over. Her normally long wavy blond hair was now such a brilliant pink, it practically glowed.

"Ok, let's just relax. This is probably just a simple charm..." Lily's eyes widened. "Charms! Our hair, it's- they're all exactly the color our bouncy balls!"

"You don't think..." Julie started, and Lily nodded.

"Yes," she growled, looking ready to kill. "Potter."

Grace's face contorted with anger and realization. "But that means he- they were in our dormitory last night, those bloody prats!" 

Angie and Val froze in their tracks. "No," they whispered, a sense of awe dawning on their faces.

The girls turned to each other and screamed. "Ahhhhh! James, Sirius, they were- oh my gosh I think I'm going to faint..."

Angie turned to Lily. "Can I touch your bed hangings?" she asked excitedly, "I mean, if he did this to you, he might've brushed them, or something."

"Are you serious?" Lily asked disbelievingly.

"Serious for Sirius!" Val chirped, running over to Julie's bed. "Maybe he touched this one, or maybe it was Grace's, oh well, I'll just touch them all." She pressed the bed hangings to her face, breathing in the scent. "Ahhh..." she sighed with bliss.

Lily took a deep breath and turned back to her friends. "_Any_ways... he's so dumb, I mean, Flitwick taught us the reversal spell in class." She held up her wand and pointed it towards her hair. "_Commutatus Reparus!_ "

Nothing happened. "Oh no, they wouldn't have put a Permanency Spell on it, would they?" Lily asked, her voice growing a bit panicked. A Permanency Spell could only be undone by the person who cast the charm.

Grace rolled her head back and put her hands over her face. "I guess they're not as stupid as we thought they were, eh?"

After about an hour of trying to get their hair back to normal, they finally gave up and settled for hats. Walking casually into the Great Hall for breakfast, they desperately hoped no one found this odd.

"It worked!" James whispered excitedly to Sirius, as he saw the hatted girls walk in.

"Yes indeed, but why are they wearing those hats? Do you think they're ashamed?" Sirius asked, his voice full of mock concern. "You know, we should help them show their true colors."

"I agree." James and Sirius got up and snuck behind the girls. James held up his fingers and mouthed, "One, two, three!" On three James pulled off Lily's hat, and holding a hat in each hand Sirius pulled off Grace and Julie's.

Everybody around them burst into laughter, as the three girls swung around in their seats and came face to face with the culprits.

"Potter!" Lily screamed, grabbing for her hat. Julie turned bright red, trying to cover her hair with her arms, and Grace stood up defiantly. 

"Which one of you did this to me?" she demanded, glowering over the two boys. James and Sirius smiled and pointed to Remus.

"Uh..uh.." Remus stuttered, paling. 

"Why you little..." Grace lunged at him but Remus quickly moved out of her way. "Get back here!" Grace yelled, sprinting after him as he darted out of the Great Hall.

"Potter," Lily sneered, her voice full of (she hoped) menacing intimidation, "You better turn this back right now." 

"Right now?" James grinned, obviously not frightened in the least by Lily's presage. "Oh I don't know, I was thinking about keeping it for a couple of days. What do you think Sirius?" 

"Well-" Sirius started, but Lily grabbed James by the collar.

"Now, Potter!"

"Fine, fine," James said, rubbing his neck. "Don't go and get your knickers all in a bunch."

"Pot-"

"_Okay_. Geez o' Pete." He and Sirius said the counter-curse and the girls' hair returned back to normal.

Sirius looked towards the Hall doors. "Hm... wonder how Remus is holding up."

"Ah!!" Remus yelled, running along the lake.

"Get... back... here..." Grace commanded between gasps of breath.

Remus looked over his shoulder to see how close she was to him, and therefore didn't see a giant root that lay ahead. He tripped and fell sprawled across the ground, allowing Grace to easily catch up.

Remus took off his slightly bent glasses to inspect the damage, and cringed as he looked up and saw Grace standing above him, hands on her hips. He was shocked, however, because instead of the scolding he had expected, Grace's scowl turned into a smile as she started laughing hysterically. "You're not er- angry?" Remus asked, leaning away from her a bit. 

"Well, I _was_ angry," Grace said, laughing still. "But I couldn't possibly _remain_ angry what with you looking like that and all."

"What?" Remus asked, confused. He felt his face and his fingers met a layer of gooky mud. Looking below him, he discovered he had hit the damp ground so hard, his face had even left an impression, and with a small smile he realized what he must have looked like.

Grace kneeled down next to him, carefully avoiding the mud. "So, you gonna change my hair back or what?" 

"Oh, right." Remus took out his wand and started to say the reversal spell.

"Wait!" Grace said suddenly, blocking his wand. "Could you leave a few streaks in? I think it looks kinda cool, and besides, purple's my favorite color."

********

That afternoon the Gryffindors joined (rather reluctantly, I might add) the Slytherins for their first Potions lesson. Classes were held in one of the dungeons, where it was rather cold and creepy, with pickled animals floating in glass jars all along the walls.

"Take your seats," The Professor instructed sharply. Once all of the students were seated, he continued in the same severe tone. "In this class nonsense and stupidity will not be tolerated, as each of you are capable of my expectations," he paused briefly in front of Peter, "_most_ of you are capable of my expectations, that is."

"Fluent's the Head of Slytherin House," James whispered to Sirius. "Can you tell?" Sirius gave a dry laugh and Professor Fluent whipped around to see who dared disrupt him.

Seeing James, he sneered. "You boy, what's your name?"

"James Potter." 

"I see," Professor Fluent looked him over. "Gryffindor, I assume?" James nodded and Fluent smirked. "Could you perhaps tell me," he began slowly, his words taunting and revile, "the longevity of a Cumper, who's swallowed an Esdubelo?"

A few seconds of silence ticked by as James stared back at the Professor with the same amount of scorn, his eyes eluding any fear the Professor was seeking to bestow upon him. Finally, James arched an eyebrow and asked coolly, "Male, or female?"

Professor Fluent looked a bit perturbed, but quickly composed himself. "Male." 

Lazily inspecting his fingernails, James answered, "Seven hours, fifty-three minutes and forty-six seconds."

"An approximate gander, of course." Sirius put in. Several girls in the back sighed dreamily at James's brilliance and at Sirius's wit.

"Well then," said Fluent, his smirk now vanished completely. "A lucky guess." He turned away from him and lectured for the rest of the class.

*****

Utter amazement and relief washed upon the Gryffindor students, as they stared up at their Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor with immediate admiration. Their teacher, Professor Fides, was in the middle of his beginning of the year speech, and had already earned the children's respect. A young man, in his early twenties or so, easily captured their attention with his enthusiasm and ability to relate with the students and their everyday lives. It was nice to have a teacher so open, and he was a good change from the usual er- older Professors they normally had. James turned to Sirius and nodded in approval, before turning back his attention to Professor Fides, waiting with interest for what he had to say next.

"Now. You will soon discover that this is not your conventional class, and there will be many surprises along the way. Of course, you will need to use the book occasionally," several students groaned, and Professor Fides smiled sympathetically, his youthful jade eyes dancing in amusement. "I know. But not to worry! I can promise you will learn _and _have fun." He suddenly gasped in mock surprise, and put one hand up to his cheek. "But Professor Fides," he said, imitating a deep voiced teenage boy. "_Fun? _In a _classroom? _No way!" The class laughed and he switched back to his normal voice. "Yes! It is possible. Eventually you will be able to fend off creatures both big, and small, but before that..." He leaned back and withdrew a large book from behind his desk. "You must learn the basics. Please, everyone turn to page 23."

The students did so without any hesitation, and the rest of the class proved to be one of their best yet. An hour later they were dismissed, and the hallway buzzed with excited chatter as everyone discussed the fantastic teacher. 

"Well at least we have something to look forward to," Grace said happily, as she, Lily and Julie headed towards their next class, Herbology. "Which is nice, especially after having Potions first thing this morning." They nodded in agreement, as they made their way out of the great doors of Hogwarts, and onto the grounds. Herbology turned out to be rather interesting, with unique plants filling in nearly all of the greenhouse. The Professor was a perky middle-aged witch, Professor Sprout. The class was like most others, which consisted of a basic description of the course, and a bit of reading from their books. When the students were finally dismissed, they gladly walked back to their Common Rooms, happy the long day was over.

*******

James entered the empty Common Room that evening, looking around for Sirius. Just as he was about to go up the stairs, he spotted Lily reading by the fire.

"Whatcha reading?" James asked, causing Lily to jump.

Seeing James, she rolled her eyes and went back to her book. "None of your business."

James peered over her shoulder to read the title. "The Magic Within? Looks dumb to me." He leaned further forward to try and read the passage she was currently on.

Lily swatted away his head and held the book protectively against her chest. "For your information, you ignorant berk, it's my favorite book. It's not dumb, it's wonderful, but of course _you_ wouldn't recognize great literature if it smacked you in the face."

"Yeah, okay," James replied sarcastically. "You want to know what's great literature?" 

"What?" Lily asked skeptically.

"Quidditch Through the Ages," he responded with a grin. "Now _that's_ a good book."

Lily made a face. "What's so great about that? Quidditch is just a meaningless, stupid game."

"What?!" James sputtered, his eyes practically bulging out of his head. "Quidditch, for your information, is most certainly _not_ meaningless, or stupid."

"Right." Lily mumbled, her eyes drifting back down to the novel in her lap. Behind her James turned and strode up the boys' staircase. He muttered angrily under his breath, as Lily went back to her book with a sigh of contempt.

*********

Sirius,

We hope you are happy. How much you have disgraced our family, you will never know. Gryffindor? **Gryffindor?** We cannot recall a time we have been ever so ashamed. An embarrassment to the Black name, that is what you are. To think, one of our own sons sorted into a group filled with Mudbloods and Muggle associated freaks. You will not speak of this catastrophe to any other relatives, although it's quite certain they're bound to find out. Your punishment will be decided when you arrive home for the Holidays, until then, we hope you think about what you have done.

Matthew and Agatha Black

Sirius looked over the letter he had just received with disgust, an awful feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. Footsteps sounded outside the dormitory door, and he hastily looked around for a place to hide it. As the person drew nearer, Sirius panicked and stuffed the letter into the closest trunk. He piled several robes on top of the parchment, just as the door swung open and James strode into the room.

"Oh, hey Sirius," James greeted, stepping towards him. "I've been lookin' all over for you, where have you been?"

"Just, um- just taking a nap." Sirius stretched his arms out and gave a huge fake yawn. 

"Oh, okay. C'mon, let's go down to dinner, I'm starving." James started back towards the stairs, and Sirius followed. With one last look at where the letter was stored, Sirius vowed to put it out of his mind, and not worry about his awful family... for the time being anyways.

A/N: Hey, thanks for all the fantastic reviews! Yes, i _do _realize that my thank you's take up tons of space, but i'm just so very very grateful : ) Also, thanks millions for those of you who responded to my VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT A/N, and the unanimous vote: Skip the boring crap! Anyways....

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RavenSiriusBlack- Hey, thanks loads for reviewing, you're one of my most faithful reviewers, and i fill with bliss everytime i receive one! oh, by the way, SIRIUS BLACK WILL DEFINITELY _NOT_ BE GAY! First of all, that would destroy any chances of him sweeping me off my feet and proposing.. er, sorry, and well second of all, just.. no : )

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Imperishable Stars- hey, you're so awesome! 4 reviews in 2 days!? you rock! (i luv remus too)

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Dulcis Caelum- hey, thanks for the reviews, and the advice! the only thing is, i don't know if i could keep those years only 3 chaps long. this year looks like it's gonna be 6 chapters, and second yr. is already 7 chaps or so. *sigh* i just can't contain myself. anyhoo, everybody check out DUMBLEDORE'S DAUGHTER cuz it's awesome : )

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JadeFairyKitty- Thanks so much, you know exactly what to say to make me feel terribly happy- I'm definitely sticking to every word J.K.Rowling wrote, if i ever slip up let me know!

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Secret Lily- hey, checked out Beyond the Veil, it was great~ glad i did! anyhoo, thanks soo much for the review, and yes it definitely will take quite a while for James and Lily to get together, but you'll stay with me, right? : )

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Suji- who cares about cheesy!? i certainly don't, i adore cheesy~ thanks so very very much for the review!

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Kawwai-kitsune- torture peter moment?? of course! *hands _back_ money from under the table* this needs no reward; torturing peter is reward enough **: )** (i'll do it as soon as i can, maybe next chap or so)

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Aerandir- hey, thanks for the review, ha, pronglet! woo

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Jess- Thanks mucho, i luv gettin all your reviews : )

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Magical Muggle- ahh, what is there to say but, I LUV YA!

*~READ AND REVIEW~*


	6. Frantic Friends and Farewells

Standing There By You

Ch. 6- Frantic Friends and Farewells

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hearby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

A/N (#1): Now, remember, I took a poll, so don't yell at me for moving the story along so quickly. Okay, now, on with the story...

The excitement of the new environment gradually died down, and the new students began to settle in and feel quite at home. Soon spectacular blankets of white spread across the grounds, giving Hogwarts a mystical holiday feeling and filling it with Christmas cheer. Remus had to leave for break several days early, announcing his mum was once again sick- it seemed to be a rather common occurrence, and his mates were getting a bit worried. While most students enjoyed the relaxing break greatly, there were few who came back without so much as a little bit of Holiday Spirit. Lily and Sirius in particular seemed a bit perplexed, Lily at having to spend an aggravating week with her antagonizing sister, and Sirius at facing the wrath of the malicious Black family. Nonetheless the first years arrived back at Hogwarts fresh and ready to finish the year. They had more homework then they could ever imagine, which consumed most of their time. Before they knew it spring had come and gone, and final exams arrived. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter lightened the mood a bit with an occasional prank on the Slytherins, which were gladly accepted (by most) disruptions from their studies.

"Wake up!" Lily's enthusiastic voice rang throughout the first year dormitory. She skipped over to both of her friends' beds, yanking open their bed hangings.

"Lily..." Julie mumbled groggily.

"Come on," Lily cried, pulling out her brush and running it through her hair. "It's exam day!"

"Mhmph," Grace groaned, pulling her covers over her head.

Lily looked over at her motionless friends and gave a loud, frustrated sigh.

Wearily opening one eye, Julie groaned inwardly as she saw Lily put her hands on her hips, as she always did before beginning a long lecture.

"You know," Lily began, tapping her foot impatiently, "The Guide to Excellent Studying clearly states that one must wake up within the range of three to four hours before said tests, to ready the mind and open components of the brain used for writing and verbal skills. Further more, a light breakfast consisting of no salts and plenty protein and fiber should be consumed no more or less than precisely one hour and 20 minutes before the examination. If- argh!"

Lily's spiel was abruptly cut off as Grace's pillow hit her smack in the face. "Lily," Grace said, her voice muffled by her mattress (her pillow now lay on the floor next to Lily), "It's five in the bloody morning. Come back in two hours, and then we'll pretend to listen to you."

"Fine," Lily huffed, grabbing her bag and schoolbooks, "suit yourselves." Julie and Grace gave sighs of relief as they heard her shut the door and clamber down the stairs.

About an hour or so later Grace and Julie entered the Great Hall, to find Lily surrounded by books and notes. They took two seats across from her, scooping eggs and bacon onto their plates. Peeking over her book, Lily acknowledged her two friends.

"Morning. Do you know if Rew Sanubrooks is going to be on the History test?"

"No, he's not Lily," Grace replied in a tired voice, "Professor Binns told us we weren't going to be tested on the Sanubrooks family until at least third year." She began to pick up some of her bacon.

"Hmm.." said Lily, grabbing the piece of bacon out of Grace's hands, and putting it back on the dish, "Better look over it just in case."

"Hey!" said Grace, going to pick up the bacon again. Lily snatched it away, and fed it to one of the Morning Post owls.

"I told you," said Lily sternly, still leafing through her book, "no salt."

Grace gave a frustrated sigh, looking sadly at the owl that had just swallowed her bacon. Looking down, she spotted a rather yummy looking piece laying on Julie's plate. Before Julie had time to defend her food, Grace made a grab for it and stuffed it into her mouth. Lily looked up as she heard Julie yell at Grace. Spotting crumbs of bacon on Grace's face, Lily shook her head at her guiltily smiling friend, and then went back to her last minute studying.

"It's not my grade," Lily mumbled. Before Grace could respond, Lily gasped and stood up quickly. "C'mon, let's go. We've only got 35 minutes until the exam, and Muhstrum and Bloye say you should be there at least..." Lily dragged Grace and Julie off before they had a chance to protest, continuing her talk on 'correct examination procedures'.

By the end of exam week, Grace and Julie had heard enough of Lily's lectures to recite them. They were exceptionally happy after their last test, Transfiguration, not so much that the exams were over, but more so that they wouldn't have to hear Lily rant on like this for a whole year. Sitting on the ends of their beds, they took advantage of the free day they had between the last exam and the last day of school. Looking over at their unpacked trunks, they grudgingly got up and started putting things away.

Over in the boys' dormitory, James began throwing things into his trunk, not bothering to fold or strategically place anything. His friends weren't around, he'd slept late and figured they had gone down to breakfast. James wasn't all that hungry, so he decided to get his 'packing' out of the way. Just as he had crammed in his last sock, he realized that he forgot to put in his broomstick. Groaning, he began to dump everything out again, and in doing so he found a folded piece of parchment mixed in with his robes.

"James, you in-" Sirius swung open his dormitory door, to reveal James standing above his trunk, reading a letter. A letter that looked suspiciously like...

"Hey, where did you get that?" Sirius asked, his eyes widening as he recognized the writing.

"It was in my trunk." James told him. He was about to ask if it was a joke, but the look on his friend's face gave him his answer. "Why didn't you ever tell me--,"

"Because it's not important, that's why," Sirius said briskly, grabbbing the letter from James.

"Yes it is, it- your family, they really care about that kind of stuff?"

Sirius gave a dry laugh. "Evidently."

"You should of told me," James said, staring at the back of the letter. "I could of done something."

Sirius crumpled the letter in his fist and sat down on James's bed. "Like what?"

"Well I don't know, my dad-"

"What would he have done?" Sirius asked. "My parents wouldn't give a flying gillywig if some guy came over and told them what to do."

"Oh," James sat next to his friend, unsure what to say. "They sound absolutely horrid."

"They are." Sirius looked down at the crumpled parchment and forced a smile. "But, what are you going to do? Come on, let's go to lunch. It's probably started already."

Sirius stood up and walked towards the stairs. Frowning after him, James made to follow but then stopped suddenly. "Er, you go down, Sirius. I'll be right there, I just have to do something." Sirius looked at him curiously, but then nodded and left the room without him. James pulled out a spare piece of parchment and began writing furiously. His best friend was not going to spend all of summer miserably, if he could help it.

The next day at breakfast James looked up eagerly as the morning post arrived. Searching through the owls in the air, he grinned as he spotted his chocolate brown one.

Sirius looked over at James. "You expecting a letter?"

James nodded as his owl landed on his plate. He untied the letter from the owl's leg and hastily unfolded it. Scanning it quickly, he gave a whoop of joy as a grin spread wide across his face.

"What is it?" Sirius asked curiously, as he leaned over to see James' letter.

"My dad says you can stay with us, if you'd like," James informed him, grinning.

"Really?" Sirius asked incredulously. "Are you sure, just like that?"

"Yup. So what do ya say?"

Sirius smiled. "That'd be great! Well, hopefully my parents will say yes; I'm sure they won't mind getting rid of me for a couple of weeks."

"All right. I'll write you when I arrive home, and then you can tell me what your parents think. My dad says anytime's fine, and you can stay as long as you'd like."

"Great," said Sirius sincerely. "Thanks a lot, James."

"Sure. You didn't think I'd let you stay with those jerks-sorry-"

"Don't be."

"-all summer, did you?"

The Hogwarts Express thundered down the tracks, gradually coming to a halt as it reached The King's Cross Station. The students departed, promises of keeping in touch, and calls of goodbye ringing throughout the station.

A/N (#2): Hooray! Year One is officially over! Year Two will be up in a couple of days, and in it you will find..."And this," a smile grew wide across James's face as he pushed open the back door, "is our quidditch pitch."

Loads and loads of quidditch"Oh what havoc we shall wreak," James proclaimed excitedly, his mind already filling with schemes and ideas.

Tons of pranks"Well, is it just me, or does she look perfectly healthy?" Sirius's eyes narrowed as he examined Mrs. Lupin, who did indeed look far from ill.

Suspicions of Remus"We can't let her get away with this," James said, pacing the room. "We've got to do something. Something big."

And oh, so much more

A/N (#3): Yes, I'm fully aware that would have been a nifty ending, capturing your attention and leaving you hanging for more, but I couldn't forget to thank my reviewers, now could I?

RavenSiriusBlack- Heyhey! Oh my, you spoil me with your lengthy reviews (which i love by the way), and YES i definitely agree Gary Oldman should NOT play Sirius, and John Travolta would be a quite bit better...but I was thinking more along the lines of Johnny Depp. (How perfect? One sexy sexy man portraying another sexy sexy man. The world would be good.) Oh yeah, and i know people do Remus/Sirius fics, lol i read the one in your fav. file : )

Reggaeshiko-tama- Hey, thanks for the review!... I'm in irishlass's L/J journal? awesome! um... what exactly is that? hm. oh well, sounds good : ) Oh yeah, and, this year is mostly Lily's point of view, but you'll see next year will be mostly the guys. Overall I do the POV of everyone and anyone, so you won't miss out on anything : )

Avalon64- Yay! You make me extremely happy with your enthusiasm... you keep reviewing, and I'll keep writing!

Oksana- I'm glad you like it! Thanks bunches for checking it out, and for reviewing : ) Oh, and for future reference, could you list MY name before Angie's? We'd like to show the true order of importance here.; )

Aerandir- smooches. smooches smooches smooches... ahh second year! k, i don't know what that was all about, but thanks for the great reviews, and for stickin w/ me through the 'boring' years : )

And last but not least to **Magical Muggle**- You're awesome: ) but really, thanks bundles for the fantastic review, you make me feel grrrrrreat!

By the way, it says I have 5 more reviews than I have actually recieved, or that are shown in the reviews, so if you reviewed and I have not thanked you above, it means your review is MIA. And... if you have the chance, could you pretty please re-review it? I'm goin nutty about this... i really luv my reviews! Thanks : )

READ AND REVIEW


	7. Second Year

Standing There By You

Ch. 7- Second Year (lame chap. title, i know, but i'm gonna start all the yrs. like this)

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hearby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

**WOOO WOOOO WOOOO~ CONGRATULATIONS RAVENSIRIUSBLACK!! YOU ARE OFFICIALLY MY 50TH REVIEWER!!!!!!!!!!**

hehe, sorry, can you tell i'm excited? Anyways... Second Year is here! hoorah hoorah~ okies, enough of this, read the story!

Ding-dong

Sirius Black stood before a magnificent house in Godric's Hollow. The manor was huge, and seemed to be centuries old. After a few moments Sirius heard footsteps, and then the fumbling of locks from behind the great wooden door. The doorknob twisted and it was pulled open to reveal a widely grinning James Potter. 

"Hello!" James greeted as he opened the door wider to welcome Sirius in.

"Hi," Sirius responded, looking around the house as he dragged his trunk into the hallway. Every inch was different from the Blacks'- not that he minded of course. Instead of the stiff chairs and dark rooms, there was inviting furniture and family pictures everywhere. 

"Dad, mum, Sirius is here!" James yelled up a nearby staircase. "You can just leave that there," said James, gesturing to Sirius's trunk, "my dad will lighten it for you once he gets down here, then I'll show you where you'll stay."

"Okay," Sirius nodded. 

"Hmm, I don't know where they are..." James said, peering into the next room. "Muuuum!" James yelled even louder. "Daaad?"

"Yes!?" Mr. Potter bellowed from behind James. Sirius laughed as James jumped, and turned around to face his mum and grinning father.

"Oh, hi. Mum, dad, this is Sirius Black." 

"Hello, Sirius." Mrs. Potter greeted warmly.

Mr. Potter clapped Sirius on the back. "Hey there."

"Hello," Sirius responded, grinning. 

Mr. Potter muttered a quick spell to lighten Sirius's trunk. "There you go," he said, handing it to Sirius. "Go ahead and show him around, James, dinner will be ready in about an hour."

James nodded and headed up the staircase, Sirius following closely behind. Walking down the hallway, James pointed out every room that they passed by.

"There's the bathroom," James nodded towards a door to the right, "and there's the study," he thrust his thumb to the left.

Sirius nodded, trying to take everything in as they sped down the hallway. James pointed out several more rooms until finally he came to an abrupt halt. 

"This is my room," said James, pushing open a door. Peeking inside, Sirius saw a fairly large room with a king size bed, and quidditch posters everywhere. Socks and dirty robes were strewn all across the floor, and several games including gobstones and chess were piled sloppily on top of a dresser. Sirius noted with a smile that James's books remained untouched in the bottom of his trunk. "Yeah," James said, shrugging "My mum made me clean it up before you came." Before Sirius could comment on this, James was already out of the room, and across the hall. "This is the room you'll be staying in."

Sirius nodded his approval as he dropped his trunk and flopped onto the bed that was quite similar to James's. "Mmm.. nice." he said, leaning back against the pillows and crossing his legs comfortably.

"Come _on_," James prompted, heading out the door, "the best is yet to come."

Sirius reluctantly got up from the comfortable bed, and followed James once more. 

"Okay, that's the living room," James said, not bothering to stop as they zoomed throughout the house, "that's the kitchen," Sirius gave a small wave to James's parents as they sped by. "And this," a smile grew wide across James's face as he pushed open the back door, "is our quidditch pitch."

Sirius's jaw dropped as he stared at James's backyard in awe. His _own_ quidditch pitch. Sirius turned to James and looked at him disbelievingly. "No way!"

James nodded, "Yes way. Isn't it great?" He began to walk towards the pitch, "My dad used to play for the Wombats when he was younger, so he had this built so he could get as much practice as possible. He was an excellent seeker. We practice out here a lot.

"You've got quaffles, and a snitch, and-" 

"Yup, we've got everything. I was hoping to become seeker for Gryffindor next year, but the position's already filled. Ah well, this is Hannan's last year anyway." James looked back as he heard his mother calling them in for dinner. "How about after dinner we set up a game?" James suggested, as they began to walk back inside. Sirius nodded eagerly, and finally tore his eyes away from the pitch as they turned and re-entered the big house.

And that's where they spent the rest of their vacation: the quidditch pitch. An occasional game of gobstones, or a visit to Diagon Alley would pop in here and there, but for the most part it revolved around that wonderful sport in the air. James's dad would show them some of his old techniques, and the two boys would practice for the rest of the day, until his dad came home from work and they'd have a mini-match. It was all-in-all a wonderful break, surely the best week Sirius ever had. The rest of the summer flew by, and before they knew it, the last day of freedom had arrived. 

Mrs. Potter had gone off to a luncheon with several of her friends, so the boys were eating lunch with James's father. Just as they were about to head outside for more Quidditch, Mr. Potter stopped them.

"Wait," he said, "I want to show you two something." Mr. Potter finished off the last of his sandwich and made to go upstairs, beckoning for the boys to follow. James and Sirius looked at each other curiously, shrugged, and then quickly followed him up the stairs.

Mr. Potter led them through the hall, and then up another set of stairs that seemed to go up to an attic. "Where are you taking us, dad?" James questioned, as they reached the top of the staircase. 

"You'll see, you'll see," he responded airily, as he began moving a rather large pile of boxes. "Now, where did it go," Mr. Potter muttered to himself.

He pushed back several empty crates that lay beneath the boxes, to reveal what appeared to be a loose tile. Picking it up, they saw it wasn't just a loose tile, but some sort of secret storage.

"Whoa.." James leaned over his dad's shoulder to try and have a peek at what lay inside. On the top was several plaques, and pictures of his dad as a kid. Mr. Potter moved these aside, and smiled at what was underneath.

"Ah.. here we go," he lifted a sparkling silver cloak out of the hole, and held it up for the boys to see.

"Is that an _invisibility cloak_?" James asked, awestruck. His father nodded and two wide grins slowly crept across James and Sirius's faces. 

Mr. Potter lazily tossed into onto James, causing the young boy to disappear in an instant. "Awesome!" the two boys chorused, laughing like mad.

"Oh, what your mother would say if she knew I was giving this to you," Mr. Potter commented with a smile.

"You're _giving_ this to me?" James asked incredulously, looking with awe at the glistening material in his hands.

"Yup," Mr. Potter smiled at the mischievous grin that had appeared on his son's face. "I don't have much use for it anymore, and I trust you'll find some."

"Oh what havoc we shall wreak," James proclaimed excitedly, his mind already filling with schemes and ideas.

"I have something for you, too." Mr. Potter said to Sirius, as he bent down to dig through the small storage place once more.

"Me?" Sirius asked wide eyed.

"Uh-huh. Well, for both of you," Mr. Potter said, brushing off two other objects. Handing one to each of the boys, they looked at the items curiously.

"Er- dad, what are we supposed to do with these?" James turned over the small mirror in this hands, trying to figure out what was so magical about it.

"Look into it," Mr. Potter instructed, "and speak Sirius's name clearly." 

James did as he was told, and Sirius's surprised face told him something had happened. "What?" he asked.

"I can see you!" Sirius exclaimed, still looking into his mirror. James looked down at his own mirror, and instead of seeing his own reflection, saw Sirius laughing.

Mr. Potter chuckled softly, as he moved everything back to its original position. "These are great dad," said James, still staring into his mirror.

"Yeah, thanks Mr. Potter," said Sirius. "Did you use these when you were in school?"

"Sure did. I think we knew every inch of that place by the time we were through." 

James looked up at his father fondly. "This is great. I can't wait to get started, I've already got loads of great ideas."

Mr. Potter laughed and rubbed the top of James's messy hair affectionately. "Just don't get in too much trouble, okay?"

James nodded as he and Sirius gathered up the stuff and made to go back down the stairs. "I can't wait to tell Remus and Peter about this." James commented to Sirius. Turning back to his dad, he asked, "You think they could come over for awhile?"

"I don't see why not," came Mr. Potter's response, and in a flash James and Sirius were down the stairs and in front of the fireplace.

James threw in a handful of floo powder, and yelled Lupin Manor clearly. He stuck his head in the flames, and Sirius waited while James had a conversation with Remus. A minute or so later James pulled his head back out, with a frown on his face. "He said his mum's sick."

"Again?" 

"Yeah," James answered, "That's been happening a lot lately, hasn't it?"

Sirius nodded and they both looked at each other uncertainly. "Well, hope she's okay," Sirius said finally, "C'mon, let's floo Peter then."

Peter turned out to be at his aunt's house, so James and Sirius just came up with new ideas together. By the end of the night that had an extravagant amount of new pranks and places they wanted to discover, and couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts to try them out. 

A/N: Hola! Yeah, I'm not too fond of this chappie, but hey it had to be done. i really just wanted to show James's dad was really cool, and introduce the cloak and mirrors. Anyhoo, on with the usual comments...

Ah, my first flamer... **Petersgurl16**- Okay, if you have a problem with the way i 'portray' peter as such a bad person, that's fine, but you don't have to trash my story. People have different opinions, and I respect that, but you don't have to get all Slytherin on me. Constructive critism is great, but that's just it, _constructive_ critism. _I_ think Peter was a bad guy, maybe not at first, but definitely at the end. anyways, i was only commenting- that A/N wasn't an actual part of the story. So, if you don't think Peter didn't turn out to be a "fat, disgusting, evil, balding, back-stabbing, good for nothing," guy, how would _you_ describe him? 

BTW.... if my story is so bad then why did you bother reading all 6 chapters?

KK, sorry, had to get that out of my system... here's the thank you's!!

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RavenSiriusBlack- heyhey, so yeah, you're my fiftieth reviewer (as if you couldn't tell), and i'm really glad it's you! You're so totally awesome, you make me feel super by being such a faithful reviewer, and you even put me in your _journal_ ahh, thanks mucho! I checked it out.. I was gonna comment but it wouldn't let me. Anyhoo, thanks bunches : )

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Dulcis Caelum- heyhey, thanks for the great review! Being, comma, happy, is, okay we all have our ailments! anyhoo, i'm really glad i'm gonna get to beta such an awesome story, (DUMBLEDORE'S DAUGHTER- CHECK IT OUT, PLEASE!) can't wait : ) 

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Lanette- hey, i'm really glad you like it! i'll try to put more dialogue, the last two chaps _were_ quite descriptive (esp. ch. 6) but i just wanted to get all that needed to be said- said. Anyhoo, thanks for reviewing! I love new reviewers (and old **: )** ), please keep reviewing! 

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Diamond004- Wow, thanks for the awesome review! lol, i wasn't sure about the summary, glad you like it!

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Marauder marion- Thanks mucho, you make me feel so great! oh yes, the Lily and James fued has only just begun... : ) thanks for the review!!

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Suji- Yes, that chapter was very rushed, but i'm glad you're okay with it! Yup, all the good stuff happens when they're older, i can't wait~ oh yes, and i'm happy u like the prank, there'll be plenty more to come.... Thanks for the review! : )

*Johnny Depp rox!

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Irishmaiden- Wow, three reviews, thanks! i'm glad you like, thanks mucho : )

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Jessica- Yes, poor Sirius : ( but not to worry, James to the rescue! by the way, he's not really _staying_ with James, just visiting for a couple of weeks. anyhoo, yup you'll see more about Remus soon, thanks for the review!!

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Magical Muggle- Hey, thanks mucho for the review! lol, yes, lily does have some amusing study ethics. : )

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Angie- lol, you're such a dork. 

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Aerandir- woo woo, two reviews! awesome, thanks mucho! hehe, i'm greatly anticipating seventh year, but i dunno, i kind of favor sixth.... anyhoo, thanks for the reviews! 

*~READ AND REVIEW~*


	8. Pink Flamingos

Standing There By You

Ch. 8- Pink Flamingos

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hearby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MY *IDEA EXPANDER* (Luv ya Ang!) AND DULCIS, YOU GUYS ROCK!

James and Sirius entered the train station with the Potters following closely behind. Once all of the good-byes were said, the two boys lugged their trunks toward the big scarlet train, and stopped only when James spotted Remus.

"Hey Sirius," James began slowly, "that's Remus's mum, right?" 

Sirius looked over to where James was indicating, and nodded. "Yup."

"Well, is it just me, or does she look perfectly healthy?" Sirius's eyes narrowed as he examined Mrs. Lupin, who did indeed look far from ill. 

The two boys continued to head towards the train. "Do you think he's..."

"I don't know," James answered Sirius's unfinished question, "I mean, why would you lie about something like that?" Sirius just shrugged and they let the topic go.

*******

"Ahh... home sweet home," Lily said, swinging open their dormitory door and flopping onto her bed. Grace and Julie laughed, and followed suit... jumping on Lily's bed.

"Argh," Lily groaned as her two friends landed on top of her. Laughing, they quickly scooted off (as to avoid any further air deprivation), and sat in their usual positions, stretching across Lily's bed comfortably. As they had already talked about their summers for hours on the train ride there, they decided to instead talk about this year's expectations.

"Well, exam grades are posted tomorrow," said Lily, "I do hope I did alright."

"Oh, hush Lily," said Grace, playfully hitting her with a pillow. "You already know you got top scores. Probably head of the class."

Julie nodded in agreement. "With all of that studying you did, you couldn't have possibly received less."

"Not to mention the non-sodium breakfast," Grace added with a wry smile. She was referring to Lily's pre-exam jitters, which had resulted in a lot of scolding, and a lot of bacon stealing.

"Yeah," Lily sighed, not catching on to Grace's sarcasm.

Rolling her eyes, Grace decided not to persue the subject. "So, I wonder if-"

Grace was cut off as two extremely loud gigglers burst into the room. "Oh my Gawd!" Angie exclaimed, in between shrieks of laughter. 

"I know!" Val squeaked. "I didn't think they could possibly get any better!"

"Gee, what could they _possibly_ be talking about?" Grace asked, feigning confusion.

"Like, did you see? Did you _see_?" Angie asked, gasping for air. "I think he glanced at me, all nonchantedly and stuff, oh that was sooo cute."

Lily sighed. "One guess." 

****

"James! Sirius!" 

The two aforementioned boys turned around, and grinned at their friend hurrying down the hallway. "Hello Remus," Sirius greeted as they waited for him to catch up. "Why weren't you at the Feast?" 

"Hi," Remus responded. Noticing Peter was there too, he acknowledged him as well. "Hello Peter. Anyways, I was, er- just straightening things out with Madame Pomfrey. You know, just eh- got a shot. Yeah, they said I had to get it before I came in contact with any other person, or I could possibly spread an incurable disease."

Sirius raised his eyebrows and looked as if he was about to comment on this, but James decided to let the unconventional excuse go, and move on to more important matters. "You'll never guess what I got," James whispered to Remus as they passed through the Common Room. Remus looked at him curiously, but James just nodded towards their dormitories. "C'mon, I'll show you up there."

Once upstairs, James dug through his trunk and retrieved the sparkling cloak.

Remus stared at the glistening material with wide eyes. "Is that an-"

James grinned and nodded. "Yup."

"What?" Peter asked, turning from Remus to James, "What is it?"

"An invisibility cloak." Sirius supplied, "Isn't it great?"

Remus nodded, but Peter still looked confused. "Well, what does it do?"

James, Sirius and Remus looked at Peter exasperatedly. "It's an _invisibility _cloak, Peter, what do you think it does?" asked Sirius.

"Oh, right."

"Now, let's get as much use out of this as we can... want to start tonight?" James asked with a grin.

"Sounds good," said Sirius, "what should we do?"

James shrugged. "I'd like to get some of those slimy Slytherins."

"Yeah!" said Sirius, rubbing his hands together, "Now, what to do, what to do..."

The boys deliberated for awhile, then came up with a very... gooey plan. Once they were ready to get started, James grabbed the invisibility cloak and they headed towards the stairs. Just as Remus was about to push open the door, Sirius stopped him.

"You know what," started Sirius, looking as if he was suddenly struck with an idea. "I think we need a name."

"A name?" repeated Remus.

"Yeah... _everybody's_ got one." 

"Okay then," said James, "What should it be?"

"I don't know," Sirius said, scratching his chin, "I'll think of something."

**********

The next day, breakfast went by in what seemed to be a normal fashion. Most everyone got there around 7 or so, except for a few late-comers scrambling in at the last minute, hoping for at least a bit of toast. Dumbledore sat chatting merrily with Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, the end of his long beard dangling dangerously close to his contents of his gold and silver flask. The students sat eating in a slow and drowsy manner, most wishing they could be back up in their snug beds. Yes, everything was perfectly normal. Oh, except-

"Arugh!" Lucius Malfoy suddenly cried. Several other yells and shouts were called out from his fellow Slytherins, and many heads of curious students turned to see what the commotion was.

What they saw was a very amusing site indeed. Whenever a Slytherin tried to get up from the dining bench they sat upon, something resembling a large piece of elastic stretched from their bottom to the bench, causing them to spring back into the same position. Laughter roared throughout the Great Hall at the entertaining scene before them, and even Dumbledore looked as if he was chuckling a bit. Some students swore that when one large Slytherin gave a particularly strong heave against the elastic like substance, and bounced back with extreme force, knocking over his bench and all of the occupants with him, that even McGonagall's lips twitched a bit. After a few moments of this, a banner suddenly appeared at the top of the Great Hall, reading:

**__**

This Prank Brought To You By the Pink Flamingos

James, Remus and Peter's very amused expressions suddenly turned to looks of disgust. They all whipped around to a grinning Sirius. 

"The Pink Flamingos?!" they shouted, turning Sirius's grin into a pouting frown.

"Well _I_ liked it." 

******

The next morning, as Lily, Grace and Julie walked down the stairs, they saw a rather large group of students gathered around the Gryffindor notice board. 

"Ooh, exam grades!" Lily squealed, hurrying towards the crowd. Shoving her way up to the front, she traced her finger down the list marked second years.

"Good job," Julie congratulated, joining Lily. "All top marks."

"Yes, but..." Lily scanned down the list once more, "where are the ranks?"

"Ohh, that's not important," said Grace, trying to block the sheet clearly marked class ranks.

"Yes it is," Lily ducked under Grace's arm, and examined the paper. With a pang of disappointment, she found herself ranked second. "Hmm.," she said frowning, "who's-"

"Ah, first," James's voice came from above Lily, "expected no less."

Lily scowled, looked up Potter, and saw that he was indeed ranked first.

"Oh, don't worry about it Evans," said James, "you gave it your best shot." He gave his trademark arrogant grin that Lily so very much detested.

"Shove off, you insidious prat."

"Now, now. I'll let that slide because I know you're just trying to make up for your lack of intelligence by using big words."

"Ha!" said Lily, "You don't even know what it means!"

James was about to retort that he did, when he realized that infact he did not. He instead tried a different approach. "So." 

Lily was about to make a joke of this, but James continued on before she could.

"I _do_ however, know what this means." He gestured towards the list of ranks and cocked his head mockingly. "Do you?"

Lily scowled again, as James walked off towards a laughing Sirius. "Don't _worry _about it," Grace put in, as Lily glared at James's back, "it's just some stupid grades."

"Just some stupid grades!?" Lily exclaimed. 

"Good job," Julie remarked wearily, as Lily began another one of her infamous rants. "Don't you _remember_? McGarthy -a variation of Muhstrum and Bloye- says, and I quote, "A good education is the key to a good future. The key to _education_, is..."

She continued rambling on the importance of academics as they headed out of the Common Room for breakfast; her friends nodding unenthusiastically and tuning out every word of her reprimanding speech.

A/N: Okie dokies, ch. 8 finished. So did you like it? i hope so. If you did.... review! My heart flutters with the prospect of reviews... and even more when I receive them! Pleeease review, just like these wonderful people...

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Aerandir- Lol, you have your own quidditch pitch? Awesome ; ) I hope you liked this chappie, there'll soon be more to come. Thanks loads~

Lanette- Oh, Lanette, Lanette, Lanette~ You make me feel sooo good! I- oh wow, I just.. yay.

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Dulcis Caelum- Hola! Is my writing different? lol, o well, sounds like its a good thing. I got you a new reviewer? awesome! Maybe I can get more... DUMBLEDORE'S DAUGHTER everyone, check it out. : ) by the way, Sirius may _seem _innocent....

AnnoyingWeirdo- Hey, thanks for the review~ I actually kinda think my fics a bit cliche (I hope not, but still..) but i'm really glad you don't think so. : ) 

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Akire135- Hey, I'm really glad you like it! Yeah, I wanted to do the younger years cuz i thought when i get to the older years it'd make them tons better. Plus I always wondered how everything happened, so I decided to make it up myself~ Thanks for the review... I'd love for them to keep coming ; )

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xxSpAzZiExx- okies, here's MORE : ) 

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RavenSiriusBlack- Argh!! it still won't let me comment, cuz when i looked on ur journal it said "this member does not accept anonomous comments" or something. Argh! lol, anyhoooooo, thanks for the novel length review! i luv the super long ones!

Oksana- Hehe, I noticed you put, "Hey guys" in this one, I guess we're trying to be un-biased now, eh? : ) thanks for the review, i hope you enjoyed!

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Secret Lily- I'm glad you liked it, thanks for the review!** : )**

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Headmaster Cromwell- Er... did anyone else get an 'acceptance' letter from this guy?

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Petersgurl16- I officially declare you insane.


	9. Marauder Mayhem

Standing There By You

Ch. 9- Marauder Mayhem

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hearby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

Over the next couple of weeks, several more pranks were performed, each corresponding with an inventive new name. So far Sirius had gone through the Strudels, the Sporks and the Emus, all of which were banned in an instant. Sirius was quite upset that none of his fellow comrades liked his names, and therefore became sulkier with each new shut-down. He currently sat in Transfiguration concentrating very hard, not on the actual lesson, of course, but on the next name. He was jerked back to reality with James's elbow jabbing him in the side. Sirius twisted around to glare at his friend angrily, when James nodded towards the head of the class. Turning towards where James was indicating, Sirius was met with a fuming Professor.

"Well," said Professor McGonagall, tapping her foot, "we're waiting."

"For what?" 

"You're answer!" the exasperated Professor barked.

Sirius cringed. "Um..." he looked desperately around the room for an answer. Having no such luck, he decided he'd better guess than say nothing at all. "25."

Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "25?" 

"Er... yes." Sirius nodded enthusiastically.

"Sirius Black the question was what type of incantation shall be used to perform a Counter Clock-Wise spell!" Professor McGonagall shrill voice rang furiously. "I am sick and tired-"

"Er- you see, Professor," James cut in, "what he _meant_ was that the incantation can be found on page 25."

"Mister Potter, we are past-"

"The _basis_ of the incantation, the _basis_. Remember, professor, how you always say, 'You must complete the basics before beginning.'? Great quote, that is, by the way. Anyways, this dear fellow here was just explaining, and further suggesting that the only way to get the Counter Clock-Wise spell complete and as accurate as possible, you must first acknowledge the basics."'

Professor seemed a bit taken back by this far stretch, but decided upon letting it go and moving on to the rest of the lecture. Sirius breathed a sigh of relief, giving James a look of thanks when McGonagall wasn't watching. The rest of the class dragged on, and a very tedious hour later the students were finally released. James and Sirius quickly grabbed their things, and made to head out the door, when McGonagall strided over to them.

"There will be no more of this maraudering in my class, understand?" Both boys nodded, and after one more stern look, she turned around and headed back towards her desk.

They walked out of class, catching up with Remus and Peter. Remus began talking about their up-coming Potions lesson, when suddenly Sirius's eyes lit up. "Marauders!"

"What?" Remus asked, surprised at Sirius's sudden outburst.

"Marauders, that should be our name!" He responded excitedly.

His three friends nodded their approval, and a huge grin spread across his face. "See," said Sirius, "see, I told you I'd come up with a good one."

"You didn't come up with it," said James, bursting Sirius's bubble, "McGonagall did."

Sirius furrowed his brow. "Not-uh."

"Uh-huh. She just told us to stop the maraudering in her class."

"I completely forgot about that," Sirius said indignantly, "She had nothing to do with my stroke of brilliance."

"Ok," James sighed, "Good job Sirius."

"Thank you," Sirius said, his wide grin back in place. "thank you very much."

*******

That night a large pile of books surrounded Lily, Grace and Julie as they finished off the last of their homework. "You know what I'm going to do tomorrow?" Julie asked wearily, referring to up-coming weekend.

"What?" Lily asked, not looking up from her book.

"Sleep," said Julie, resting her head on the table. "Oh, blissful slumber, how I miss thee."

"Sounds good to me." Grace said, stifling a yawn.

"What do you mean? You're not going to study for the Potions test?" Lily asked, shocked.

Grace rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on Lily. We've been studying for days, we know it all already."

"Hmm..." Lily said, looking back down at her book. "Okay then."

Grace and Julie shook their heads at their over-achieving friend. 

"Lily, Lily, Lily Come on, put the book down..." Grace reached for the book but Lily quickly slapped her hand away.

"Ow!" Grace cried, rubbing her wrist pitifully. 

"Let's go upstairs." Julie said quickly, to avoid any further wrist-slapping. "It's getting late, anyways."

"You guys go ahead, I'll be right up," Lily muttered, once again engrossed in her book.

Julie sighed. "Okay, but don't work too hard."

"I won't." The two girls went up their staircase to the dormitory, leaving Lily by herself in the Common Room.

*****

"I'm boooored," Sirius sang, swinging his legs back and forth.

"Wanna checkout that one passageway by the Orienious statue?" James suggested, referring to their latest discovery, "I'm almost positive it leads farther then we went last time, perhaps if we took a left turn at the entrance instead of a right?"

"Alright," said Sirius, hopping off the bed. "C'mon then." He gestured for Remus and Peter to follow him, as he headed towards the door. James grabbed his Invisibility cloak and stuffed it into his robe pocket, as the four boys bounded down the stairs. 

"Where are you going?" 

The four boys jumped at the sudden demand, and turned wearily around, their wands ready. Seeing Lily, James gave a sigh of relief and lowered his wand.

"None of your business, Evans." James replied airily. 

"It _is_ my business," Lily strided over to where the boys were standing. "Now, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," James began to walk away from her, and towards the Portrait Hole.

Lily rushed in front of him and raised her wand. "You won't go."

"Move out of the way!" James exclaimed, and made to push past her.

"_Loco-_" Lily started, but Sirius quickly raised his wand to block hers.

James and Sirius glared at Lily and she glared right back.

"Why do you care so much, Evans?"

"I care because you're probably off to play another heartless prank," Sirius opened his mouth to protest, but she continued on, cutting him off, "and even if you're not, you have no right to go out past curfew and perhaps lose points for Gryffindor."

"We _won't_ lose points, Lily," Sirius reasoned, as if talking to a child. "Don't worry about it."

"You won't go, or I'll tell." Lily informed them coolly.

"You wouldn't," James growled.

"Oh, I would," Lily replied, noplussed by James's threatening expression. "Care to find out?"

James stared at her a second longer before finally lowering his wand and stuffing it back in his pocket.

"Fine. But you better watch out, Evans," James warned, _"Nobody _messes with the Marauders." With that he stormed back up the boys' staircase, Sirius, Remus and Peter at his heels.

"Ohhh, I'm really scared now, Potter," Lily shot back at him.

James froze. "Good," he said, flashing her an unnerving smile. "You should be." 

Suji- Glad you liked it! by the way, i checked out "From Friends to Enemies in the Blink of an Eye", it was great! (Recommended to all)

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RavenSiriusBlack- No.. I don't have a Live Journal, i don't know how to get one or anything. anyhoo... did you enjoy my bio : ) i couldn't contain myself from adding a little bit about Sirius in there~

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Oksana- Yay, I'm glad I could please Mr. Zasa : ) thanks for the review!

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Me (that was the sign-in name) **fla·min·go** ( P )   
_n._ _pl._ **fla·min·gos **or **fla·min·goes**...

boo. yah. **: )**

Aerandir- Muy glad you liked it... yay : ) (i don't know what else to say!)


	10. Life's Little Rewards

Standing There By You

Ch. 10- Life's Little Rewards

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hearby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

Several days later, Lily joined her friends in the Common Room, studying a letter  
she had just received by owl. "Have you guys ever heard of Suoixonbo?" Lily asked, absently choosing a seat across from Julie.  
  
Julie and Grace shook their heads no, just as James rushed over and grabbed the  
letter. "No way!" James shouted, examining the parchment. "Where did you get this?"  
  
"It was sent to me this morning. Why?"  
  
"No," said James in a hushed voice, "you- you're getting this award?!"  
  
"Its an award?" Lily asked, suddenly very interested.  
  
"Yeah, it's only like, the greatest honor ever." He looked it over again, muttering  
quietly to himself. "It can't be. She couldn't have gotten it..."  
  
Lily snatched the paper back and smiled smugly. "Well, I did Potter. Jealous, are  
you?"  
  
"No," James huffed indignantly.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes, tucking the letter into her bag. She sat down, turning her  
attention away from James, with a very content look upon her face.

Lily looked over her letter once more that night at dinner. "It says I'll receive it at  
7:00p.m. in the Great Hall," she said, checking her watch. "I've got five minutes, I think I'll ask Dumbledore about it."  
  
She started to get up, but James stopped her. "No! Look, you're just supposed to go right in the center of the Hall, over there. You have to be precisely on time, c'mon, you don't want to miss it."  
  
Lily narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How do you know so much about this, and  
why do you care?"  
  
"My father has told me all about it," James sighed, "he received it when he was  
my age, as did my grandfather, so on, and so on. And... if I can't get it, I'm at least glad a fellow Gryffindor could."  
  
Lily was shocked that he could say something so very un-selfish. "Oh. Okay  
then." Checking her watch once more, she finally stood up, smoothing down her skirt.  
"Well, I'm off."  
  
She walked over to the place James had specified, nervousness and anxiety taking over. At the exact moment she reached the center, the Great Hall dimmed and a magically modified voice filled the air.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Professors and pupils, vertebrates and invertebrates," the  
loud voice boomed throughout the Hall, "Please focus your attention on a very deserving young lady." The voice cleared it's throat, and a drumroll sounded. "We will now present Lily Evans with..." excitement flooded through the expectant girl as all eyes turned towards her, "The Most Obnoxious Person Award! A large banner appeared above her, with the word 'OBNOXIOUS' and a large arrow pointing directly at Lily on it. The Great Hall erupted into bouts of laughter, mixed in with random sympathetic _awws_. After several moments the 'OBNOXIOUS' flickered away, and was replaced by the phrase, DON'T MESS WITH THE MARAUDERS."  
  
Lily stood there, stunned. Realization hit hard, as a wave of mortifying  
humiliation washed over her; her jaw dropped open and her eyes glazed over with tears. Blinking quickly, she came to her senses and ran as fast as her feet would carry her, all the way out of the Great Hall.  
  
Grace and Julie stared at one another open-mouthed, before stomping over to  
where the guilty boys sat. James and Sirius were laughing hardest of anybody, while  
Remus just smiled weakly and Peter clapped his hands in excitement.  
  
"You're so mean!" Grace scolded James.  
  
James' laughter died down, and he wiped his eyes. "She had it coming."  
  
Sirius was still in hysterics. "Stop laughing," Julie demanded. He laughed on,  
ignoring her.   
  
"You're- oh, I just can't believe-" James raised an eyebrow at the infuriated  
Grace.  
  
Sirius was still hooting away, not bothering to lessen his laughter at all.  
  
"I said, stop laughing!" Julie gave him a swift kick in the shin before she and  
Grace hurried to the Common Room to console their friend.  
  
"Lily?" Grace asked softly, once they had reached the dormitory. There was no  
response, so she and Julie cautiously pulled open the door. Stepping in, they found Lily lying face down on her bed.  
  
The two girls looked at each other wearily before walking over to their deranged  
friend. There were a couple moments of silence, while Grace and Julie each took a seat on either side of Lily.  
  
"I'm so stupid," said Lily quietly, her face still smashed into her pillows.   
  
Grace shook her head. "You're not," she said firmly. "Those boys are gits, they're  
the stupid ones.   
  
Lily twisted around to look at her friend, revealing a pale and tear streaked face.  
"But I believed them. I actually thought I was getting the..." Lily's eyes widened, and she let out an audible groan. "Ugh... Suoixonbo! It's obnoxious backwards, oh that's soo obvious. I should've known..."  
  
"How could you have known?" Julie reasoned, "We didn't figure it out, either. Don't worry Lily, I'm sure this will all blow over in no time."  
  
Lily nodded her head disbelievingly. "Yeah, I guess. I'm really tired, I think I'm  
just going to go to sleep now, alright?"  
  
Grace and Julie obliged, pulling back Lily's bed hangings and stepping out of the  
room, closing the door softly behind them. Once back in the empty Common Room, the  
two began to ramble furiously.  
  
"Those idiots!" Grace exclaimed.  
  
Julie nodded in agreement. She looked back at their dormitory, anger rising inside  
of her. "And the awful thing is, they're just going to get away with it."  
  
"No, they won't," said Grace suddenly.  
  
"Yes they will," Julie argued, "McGonagall won't be able to trace it back to  
them, and Dumbledore-"  
  
"Yes, well the _administration_ won't do anything," Grace conceded, "but we will."  
  
Julie looked up at her friend, and nodded slowly. "Okay... I'm in. Give them a  
taste of their own medicine, eh?"  
  
"Yeah," said Grace, "but, I don't think we should bother Lily with it right now."  
  
"You're right," said Julie, "She seemed really upset."  
  
Grace shook her head. "Stupid prats. 'She asked for it,' Ha! Yeah, well, they're  
asking for it now, messing with my friend, why I oughta..."  
  
"Right," Julie nodded, standing up. "So its all set." Her face was determined, and  
ready for revenge.  
  
"Not really," said Grace. "We still need a plan."  
  
"Oh, right…" Julie sat down again. "Any ideas?"

A/N: Usual thank you's.... reviews are sooo much appreciated guys, and it takes so _little_ time to press that little button to the left... pleeease review : )

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Secret Lily- hey there, thanks sooo much for reviewing, you keep my inspiration up high.. : ) thanks again****

Suji- Thanks! I'm glad you like the character developement... i try! Thanks thanks thanks (repeat a trillion times) for the review, so much appreciated.

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Lanette- Hey, ahh you don't have to apologize for not reviewing last chapter! (although it makes me feel reeeally good) but I'm glad you liked it : ) yeah, i think they should have stuck with the flamingos too, but what can I say...

oh yeah, and thanks billions and billions for your review!

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RavenSiriusBlack- Sorry, didn't get a chance to check out the quiz, but i will (hopefully) sometime soon.. oh yeah, and i mite get a livejournal, but i'm not quite sure what i would say, i'm sort of a boring person ; ) thanks for the review(s)!

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Aerandir- Gang? hehe. I'm glad you likey, hope this was updated soon enough ; )

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Dulcis Caelum- Yay, progressively better, yay. : ) major grins!


	11. Shocking Surprises

Standing There By You

Ch. 11- Shocking Surprises

100 reviews, yay! Congrats to MidnightPrincess for being the big 100

The Marauders sat in their dormitory, Remus reading and Peter spectating James and Sirius's uneventful game of gobstones. Just as the night sky began to darken, Remus checked his watch. "Well, I better go," he said, hopping off of his bed.

"Where are you going?" Sirius inquired, standing up beside him.

"Visiting my mum," Remus quickly replied, avoiding his friend's eyes, "I- I'll see you guys later."

James looked at Sirius uneasily, and once Remus had left the room, spoke up. "Do you think.. something's going on?"

Sirius nodded slowly. "Kind of, I mean, he's _supposedly_ visiting his sick mum so frequently, and she didn't look remotely sick at the train station."

James frowned. "Yeah, I know. But, he wouldn't lie about something like that, to us, would he?"

Sirius shook his head in a determined matter, as if trying to convince even himself. "Nah, he wouldn't. C'mon, I'm hungry, let's go visit the kitchens."

The three boys vanished under the invisibility cloak, and carefully made their way to the kitchens. They decided that since they were already out, they might as well do a little exploring. They found a couple of new discoveries, and by the time they were ready to head back, the hallways and corridors were pitch black.

"Peter!" Sirius whispered fiercely. "Stop stepping on my toes!"

"Sorry," said Peter, "I-"

Peter was abruptly cut off as James clamped a hand over his mouth. "Shh," he said in a nearly inaudible whisper. "Look."

Up ahead a tall figure walked through the darkened hallway, a light streaming from the tip of his out-stretched wand. The three invisible boys held their breath until the man walked past them, and turned around a corner out of site.

Once they were sure he was out of ear-shot, Sirius whispered, "Who was that?"

"I dunno, it was too dark." James responded, looking in the direction the person had gone. "What do you think they're doing up this late?"

"I don't know, but I _do_ know one way to find out..."

James grinned and in a flash the three were following the path the unidentified man had taken. They walked as fast as they could, and in a several moments they could see the familiar beam of light. They followed at a safe distance, and in 10 minutes or so he finally stopped at the Hospital Wing. He muttered an unlocking spell, opened up a door, and disappeared inside. James, Sirius and Peter crept quietly up to the door, and noticed he had left it slightly ajar. Listening closely, they could hear two people talking, and found that one was their very own Professor Fides, but they couldn't distinguish the other quiet voice. They listened for a couple of minutes, but still couldn't determine the second party. After awhile, their Professor seemed to be making a departure, and they feared they would never find out.

"You'd better get some rest then," came Professor Fides distinct voice. "If Madame Pomfrey catches me here I'm a dead man." He chuckled softly, and then the creaking of a bed sounded as he stood up. James, Sirius and Peter reluctantly started to walk away, disappointed they hadn't heard anything interesting. They quickly turned a corner, just as Professor Fides came out the door. Grabbing the doorknob, he closed the door softly, but not before saying one last thing.

"Goodnight, Remus."

James's jaw dropped open is surprise, and although not visible, he knew Sirius's had as well Next to them, they heard Peter draw in his breath, as if about to call out to Remus. Before he could, however, James and Sirius both clapped a hand over his mouth, and pulled him away. Sirius whispered briefly for him to be quiet, and they all hurried off back in the direction of their Common Room.

Once back in their dormitory, they whipped off the invisibility cloak and stared uneasily at each other.

"Okay, so I was wrong," James said finally. "He _would_ lie to us."

"Yeah, I guess so," said Sirius, a puzzled expression upon his face, "but... why?"

James shook his head. "I don't know. But we're going to find out."

From that point on, James and Sirius began to investigate Remus's mysterious situation further. They asked him if he had in fact gone to visit his mother that night, in case there really was some sort of reasonable explanation, but Remus just stuck to his original story. James and Sirius made a secret vow that by the time they came back from the upcoming Christmas vacation, they would surely find him out.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Well I was thinking," Grace began, as she sat cross-legged on top of her bed. "That the main part has got to be shock. They're going to be so surprised that we pulled one over on them, and that'll be the main factor in our prank."

"Mmm hmm..." Julie agreed. "But, there's still the matter of actually _deciding_ what the prank should be."

"Yeah," Grace nodded glumly. "There's that."

The two girls currently sat in their empty dormitory, brainstorming for the boy's much deserved retaliation. Well, more like sat stumped, desperately hoping for an interesting thing to come to mind.

"Well maybe we could-" Julie abruptly cut off as Lily walked into the room.

"Hey guys," she greeted, walking over and plopping onto her bed. "Whatcha doing?"

"Nothing," Grace and Julie replied quickly.

Lily looked at them suspiciously. "What are you so uppity about?"

Grace and Julie glanced sideways at one another, then back at Lily, grinning innocently. "Nothing."

A/N: Oh, wow, that chapter was extreeeemely short, sorry 'bout that. I promise to make up for it, I'll post the next chap. as quickly as possible. Just remember, the more reviews.. the quicker I'll post : )

Jess- Hey there, glad you liked 'em, thanks for the review!

Siriuslivs1488- Yay! everyone check out When Somers Turned to Black, it's great!

IrishMaiden- Thanks for the review : ) I think you're rad too.

Suji- Hey, thanks for the review! Yeah, don't worry, the girls will get them back. Eventually...

MidnightPrincess- Wow! So many reviews.. I'm honored! Woooo, congrats on being the 100th, : )

Manny2003- Hey, thanks for all the great ideas! the names are awesome, but i'm not quite sure i want to give the girls one. The girls don't really pull pranks and act mischeivious like they guys do- and aren't nearly as good at it (although they could give them a run for their money, if they wanted to) basically, the girls aren't goodie goodies (xept Lily, she kind of is) but they're not into rule breaking like the guys are. Thanks mucho for the suggestions, tho, perhaps i'll keep them in mind for a future fic : )

RavenSiriusBlack- Hola! Thanks mucho for the review, but what'd you mean hurry up so you can block the spammer? does my updating defeat all ugly spammers? if it does.. awesome! My posting powers will distinguish all spammers... mwahahahaha

Aerandir- Really? What was the incident? Thanks for the review... btw!

Sam Gamgee 1973- Aww.. thanks for the wonderful review!!

Oksana- Hey, thanks as usual for the spiffy review!!

Thanks mucho, A. Lenz, for pointing out the whole Ch. 9 under Ch. 10 thing.. : )

READ AND REVIEW.... please : )


	12. Christmas Letters

Standing There By You

Ch. 12- Christmas Letters

Disclaimer: The usual, I don't own anything Harry Potter related (except for a numerous amount of spells and characters) and I also don't own the works of Socrates, or Walter Lippman.

A/N: Wow! I got so many reviews- I think the most so far : ) I am incredibly happy, and therefore am doing a dance of joy. Ok, I'm only going to respond to several people that asked me questions/suggested stuff, but I still give major props to...

Shindou Bakani

ChrisPgirl

MidnightPrincess

Manny2003

Aerandir

SeCrEt LiLy

Jess

Morgan Riordan- Wow! Somebody is actually happy with the way I 'portray' Peter, thank you thank you! lol... anyways.. thanks for the review!

Molly**- **Yes, I agree.. the pace is kinda slow, and I do plan to speed it up a bit. As for the British lingo... if you (or any other viewers) have any word suggestions, I'll be happy to use them! Sadly, I know mostly American (seeing as that's what I am : p) so those words do randomly pop up in my story.

SuperHiperChit- Wow. Exact same mind track, babe, exact same mind track.

Okies, this chapter takes place over Christmas break and is done in all... you guessed it, letters! Here ya go...

James,

Hello. How's your break going? Well, I hope. My family and I have just arrived back home from my Grandparents, we spend every Christmas there. I received a remarkable set of thesauruses, they'll be incredibly convenient for Transfiguration and History of Magic essays. There are a couple of rather interesting ones, remind me to show them to you sometime. Did you get that new broomstick you've been talking about? I hope so. Well, I've got to be going, I actually just wanted to send you your present. Enjoy!

-Remus

James put the letter aside and untied the bundle that was attached to the grey owl's leg. He tore open the brown paper to reveal a large book entitled, Impress Your Friends with Burt Cassidy's Colloquy of Substantially Large Words. James set the present aside with a slight look of disgust- what kind of present is a book? Nevertheless, he grabbed a piece of parchment, wrote a quick reply and tied it onto Remus's owl, along with the present James had gotten him. The owl had barely taken off, when James was already beginning his note to Sirius.

Sirius,

Hey, guess who just wrote me. Remus. And you know, I think he was playing with me the entire letter, I mean, "How's your break going?", he obviously knows it's all twisted because I'm trying to figure out what the heck's going on with him. Oh, oh, and "... a couple of rather interesting ones..." that's definitely implying something. But what? Let's see, what else... oh,"Enjoy!" Enjoy what? The present... or going mad from these baffling letters he's sending me! Oh well. If you have any more suggestions, tell me. We've got to figure this out. Okay, I've got to go eat dinner now, but write me back as soon as possible.

James

P.S.- How are things? Are your parents being tolerable? I hope so.

P.P.S.- Happy Christmas

****

James,

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!! Yeah, things are going alright over here, same old same old. (Same old pricky parents... Same old psychotic house elf...) Anyway, I have two things to tell you: One, I think you are insane and two, I've come up with several possibilities.

Remus is secretly involved in a traveling circus, because of his unique trapeze flying capabilities. The circus comes to Britain every once and a while, so when it does he flies off and joins them for a couple of late night performances. Professor Fides is the director of the Hogwarts branch of the travelling circus, and was discussing upcoming acts with Remus in the Hospital wing.

Remus is currently a secret agent, and doing numerous investigations throughout the year. The hospital wing is not actually a hospital wing, but a highly technologically advanced office, in which they have very confidential materials and cool things that beep.

Remus is an extraterrestrial from outer space, and is brainwashing each and every one of us individually. Professor Fides is his leader, and once a month Remus has to report back to him.

Remus is obsessed with Urytanins, a special flower that only blooms on certain days. He has these dates specified, and when they are in bloom he sneaks out and picks as many as he can. The last time he went Urytanin picking, one of the thorns pricked him, and he had to go back to the hospital wing for immediate care. Professor Fides knows of this secret obsession, and in fact shares it, and therefore was out picking the flowers with Remus. Professor Fides stayed behind to pick him more flowers, then went to give them to him for comfort.

Well, those are all of my ideas for now. I'm sure between all of these, one has got to be right. I hope this helps, bye!

Yours Truly,

Sirius

Sirius,

Okay, first of all, I_ am insane?? Extra-terrestrials? Urytanins? I honestly wonder what goes on inside your brain. Anyway, there was one (and only one) thing that made sense. You said, once a month. Looking back, it has been once a month. Remus's disappearances have been exactly a month apart. But why? What's making him leave, and why won't he tell us? Well, at least we've got something. Perhaps I'll ask my dad, he might be able to help. Okay write back if you have any i-- scratch that. Just write back._

James

****

James,

Humph. Humph I tell you. I am highly affronted at your lack of enthusiasms toward my ingenious ideas. I don't see you coming up with any ideas, do I? Huh? Huh? Yeah, that's what I thought. And by the way, that once a month thing, wasn't a fluke, you know. Intellect I tell you. Pure brilliance. I used a great bit of brain to come up with those striking suggestions, and I think you owe me an apology. And if I can quote one of my dear friends, Walter Lippman, "It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf." I rest my case.

Sirius

Sirius,

Okay, okay, I am heartily sorry. You're not insane, and your ideas were quite brilliant. And as I'm writing this, I'm not even crossing my fingers. Really. Moving on, I do in fact have an idea of my own. I was marking down all of the days Remus has been absent (that I could remember), and realized they've all been full moons. I then looked through one of my dad's old Dark Creatures book, and found a lot of good information... all leading up to one thing. Remus is a werewolf.

James

P.S.- The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing. 

****

James,

A werewolf! Ha! And you thought my ideas were bad. Geez, nice try James. I mean, come on. How does that explain all of the scratches--- how does that explain why Remus was in the Hospital Wi--- oh.

Sirius crumpled up his unfinished letter, and scribbled down a new one.

****

James,

Good Job. Remus is a werewolf, I completely agree.

Sirius

__

Grace,

Hello! How's your Christmas vacation going? Mine is pretty good, it's very busy though. I just spent Christmas day with my dad, and then tomorrow I have to go to my mum's. (That's where you should send your letters to.) So, do you have any idea what we should do about the 'retaliation'? I think we should come up with something before vacation is over; we'll have plenty of time to prepare it before the school year ends. Okay, write back soon, bye!

Loads of love,

Julie

Julie,

Hey there! My Christmas was good too, I got an awesome new broomstick from my folks. About the 'retaliation'. I'm not quite sure what it should be, but I am quite sure it should include something gooky, and something very humiliating. Also, I don't think we should include Lily- at all. You know she would try and get us not to do it, because we would get in trouble, that it wasn't that big of a deal and that we'd be breaking about a billion rules, etc, etc. But, once it actually goes through, she'll be very grateful, and glad that she didn't have to worry about it. Grrr, I'm getting mad just thinking about what those jerks did, and you know what, they've probably already forgotten about it. You know, it was funny when they did that stuff to the Slytherins, but when they start doing it to my friends... they better watch out. You're right about getting this planned out soon, because I just can't wait to see their faces. Write back when you can, talk to you soon.

Love,

Grace

Grace,

Hello, Happy Christmas! How are you? Everything's alright over here, Christmas was wonderful. My parents gave me this incredible new set of quills, they're long lasting so they won't run out when I'm writing those long reports and such. Everything's's great, except for well, my sister. I don't know, she's acting really mean- meaner than usual. You know, if she calls me 'freak' one more time I think I'm going to... well I don't know what I'll do since I can't use magic outside of school, and she's bigger than me, but, well, okay, so I probably won't do anything, but still. I'll think mean thoughts about her, or something. Well, I hope you're having a good break, write back soon.

Love,

Lily

P.S.- I know you guys are planning revenge on the boys- and I want in.

A/N: Muahaha.. you didn't think I'd forget about poor Lily, did you? Anyways, this chapter was a bit longer, but still not quite as long as I'd like it. Right now, I would like to take a **POLL**. Okay? Now pay attention.

If you would rather longer chapters, and a longer waiting period between updates, please select... **A**

If you would rather shorter chapters (much like the one I've just posted- Christmas Letters) and a shorter waiting period between updates, please select... **B**

If you would be so kind, please inform me of your opinions in your reviews. : p

Thanks!


	13. What Time is it Mr Fox?

Standing There By You

Ch. 13- What Time is it Mr. Fox? (**reconstructed**)

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hearby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

**A/N: **Heyhey I revised this chapter ever so slightly… actually kind of a lot… because it was bothering me. Hope you still enjoy it : )

After a Christmas holiday filled with revelations, the students were eager to get back to school and begin the tasks and hand. The girls were busy planning their 'retaliation', while the boys decided upon the best way to confront Remus.

…

"It has to be _really_ mortifying," said Lily, as she paced their dormitory, "and really clever, and really, really..."

Grace shook her head as she and Julie watched Lily elaborating their plan. "Who would've thought," she admired, watching the girl in amazement.

"I know," Julie replied, her eyes following Lily as she walked back and forth across the room. "Thought she'd be completely against breaking the rules."

"Well, normally I would be," Lily informed them, pausing mid-stride, "but they really deserve it. Especially Potter..."

Julie stood up. "All right, so what are we going to do?"

The three girls stood still, each contemplating their own thoughts. They stayed in a stumped silence for a couple of minutes or so, which was only broken by the rumbling of Grace's stomach.

"Perhaps we'll eat on it?" Grace suggested hopefully.

"All right. After we eat, then we'll come up with an idea." Lily clicked her tongue as she watched her friends leave their dormitory, wishing she felt as reassured as she sounded. As much as she hated to admit it, and she _really, really_ hated to admit it, she had to give the boys at least a teensy amount of credit for coming up with all of the pranks that they did. It really was tough work.

…

James and Sirius ambled slowly down the corridor, drowsy from a full meal and second helpings of dessert. They deliberately decreased their speed to a ridiculous degree, allowing their impatient peers to swerve around them. "So," Sirius whispered, once Remus and Peter had wandered ahead. "When do you think we should tell him?"

"Soon," James returned under his breath. "Tonight, even."

"All right." Shaking his head, he griped, "I can't believe he's been hiding something this extraordinary from us."

"What's extraordinary?"

James and Sirius jumped at the unexpected inquiry. "What?" Sirius asked innocently, swiveling around. Seeing it was only Peter, he sighed and dropped the act. "Oh, hey Pete. Where's Remus?"

Peter pointed up a neighboring staircase. "He went to the library," he informed them. "Wanted to borrow a few books that McGonagall recommended for the upcoming project."

"Good," James said swiftly, putting an arm around his friend's shoulders and drawing him beneath the stairwell, away from the lingering crowd of students. "We need to brief you."

"What?" Peter's face contorted. "I- I'm already wearing boxers."

Sirius made a face, looking at James. "I don't even know how to respond to that."

James sighed. "Listen, Peter, we have to tell you about Remus. We found out he…" James glanced around to make sure no one was within hearing distance. "He's a werewolf."

…

Normally, Remus has so much on his mind that the sounds of the bustling students around him and their light chatter remains unbeknownst to him. There are certain things, however, that are able to catch his attention.

Like someone claiming he's a werewolf, for instance.

On his way back downstairs to see if there were any book lists left in his Transfiguration room- he left his all the way back in the dormitory- he came to a sudden halt when he heard his friend utter those dreadful words. Hoping beyond hope that he had made a terrible mistake, he lingered out of sight on top of the staircase and strained to hear the rest of their conversation.

…

"_What!_" Peter exclaimed, his eyes going wide with fear. "I- I've been sleeping in the same room as a werewolf?"

Sirius slugged his friend hard across the shoulder. "He's not dangerous," he hissed, rolling his eyes. "Unless there's a full moon, but he's never around during those."

Peter dazedly rubbed the spot were Sirius had hit him. "Oh…Okay," he said uncertainly.

"Now," James said, rubbing his hands together conspiratorially. "For some reason Remus has been keeping this a secret from us, so we've got to lock the door tonight and trap him in; maybe we'll finally be able to get out the truth. Now I think--,"

…

"Watch out!"

Remus scrambled to stand up. "Sorry," he apologized to a rather irritated lookingfifth year. She hadn't seen him kneeling on the top of the stairs, and in her haste almost made the both of them go tumbling to the first floor. The girl continued her journey down the stairs in a huff, as Remus re-collected his things. The collision had interrupted his focus on his friends' whispered discussion, but he had heard enough.

His heart sunk as he recalled James's instructions to Peter. He knew his friends would be shocked if they ever discovered his dreadful secret, but he was hoping maybe… Well, it didn't matter now. Remus understood if they wanted to lock him out of their dormitory. To save them the trouble, he somberly made plans to gather his things without his friends noticing and tostake out the couch by the fireplace. It would do for now, anyway.

…

Just as James began to trek across the school toward his common room, someone tapped him on the shoulder "Yes?" he asked, swerving around.

"Hello James," Daniel Richen, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, greeted. "Could I have a word?" James nodded, and Sirius and Peter went on ahead without him.

"As you know, Hannen's this year's Seeker," Richen began, falling in stride with the younger boy. "He's mighty good, as well. Too good, in fact." He frowned, for a few moments seeming lost in his own thoughts.

"Er... is that a bad thing?" James asked, a bit bewildered by the rather random conversation.

"Well, yes it is," Richen sighed, snapping back into the present. "When the Falmouth Falcons decide to recruit him a season early, leaving us without a seeker."

James's eyes widened. Suddenly this conversation was interesting.

"So there's a spot open?" he asked eagerly, "You haven't got a seeker?"

"No, we haven't. I've seen you and that other boy flying around the pitch, and you'd make a great seeker, James. Normally we'd go through the whole ordeal of tryouts and such, but seeing as our next and last game is coming up mighty fast, we've decided just to-"

"I'll take it!" James burst, unable to control his excitement. "When do I start?"

Richen grinned. "Be at the pitch tomorrow evening."

"All right," James shook Richen's hand enthusiastically. "Thanks, thanks a lot."

Before Richen could even utter a word, James had raced across the hall and vanished around a corner. "You'll never guess what just happened!" James exclaimed, bursting into the common room.

Sirius looked up, along with other curious Gryffindors who were eager to be distracted from their studies. "What?"

"I'm seeker... I'm seeker... I'm seeker..." James sang, doing an odd sort of victory dance.

"Ah ha!" Sirius laughed, joining in James's dance. "We've got to celebrate this joyous occasion... party in the Gryffindor tower Friday night!"

Several Gryffindors cheered, not so much at James getting the position, but moreover at the prospect of a party.

Gryffindors love to party.

The two boys leapt up the stairs to their dormitory, Sirius hitting him with shouts of congratulations and James grinning like mad. After they finally reached their dormitory and their jubilant exclaims faded, the Gryffindor common room eventually returned to normal.

Looking up briefly from her homework, Grace spotted Lily smiling broadly. "What are you so happy about?" Grace questioned, "I didn't think you'd be too happy about the disturbance."

"I'm smiling," Lily said slowly, her eyes glowing with excitement, "because I've just got the perfect idea for our prank."

…

"Where _is_ he?" Sirius moaned, leaning beside their wide-open door. "He's never this late!"

James stared into the hallway outside their dormitory. "Don't lose your concentration," he told him, "you have to be alert. When Remus comes into the room you've got to close and secure the door immediately so he has no way of getting back out."

"My dear friend," Sirius said slowly, as if explaining the situation to a child. "For this plan to work, Remus actually has to _be_ here."

"Maybe he's, you know, turning into a wolf or something," Peter suggested sleepily.

Sirius threw a nearby sock at his friend. "He only does that during a full moon, you nitwit."

As his roommates began bickering grumpily, James shifted on his bed, frowning. "I think I'm going to go look for him," he decided, hopping onto the ground. "Is it past curfew?"

"What?" Sirius ceased his sock-battle with Peter and turned toward James. He ducked behind his bed curtain and snatched something offthe post. "Oh, yeah. Here's the invisibility cloak."

James draped the cloak over his arm and hurried out of the dormitory. He descended the stairs into a pitch black common room, the only light flickering dimly from a few persistent embers left in the fireplace.

"James?"

James was very grateful for the lack of light in the room when he jumped nearly three feet in the air at the unexpected voice. Clutching his cloak, he turned around to see who had startled him. "Oh, Remus," he said, exhaling deeply. "What are you doing down here?"

Remus shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted uneasily. "I- I heard you talking, so I thought I'd just… Listen James, I just wanted to ask you not to tell anyone. Professor Dumbledore knows about my… affliction… but it's not the sort of thing I'm supposed to spread around."

"Oh… No, of course not." James narrowed his eyes at strangely acting friend. Lowering his gaze, his confusion grew when he noticed Remus's comforter and pillows spread out across the couch. "What's going on?" James asked, "Why are you sleeping down here?"

Remus lowered his eyes. "I heard you guys talking in the hallway," he confided quietly. "It's all right, I knew you'd find out soon enough." He forced a laugh. "You're so bloody brilliant… And curious, too. Ah… Anyway," he began talking very quickly, "I'm really glad we could be friends these last couple of years, and I want you to know I understand why you don't want me to hang around you anymore."

James blinked. "Are you off your rocker?"

"W-what?"

James crossed his arms. "I have no idea what you're on about. What would give you the impression that we didn't want you hanging around us?"

"I heard you," Remus contended. "You said you found out what I truly was and… and then you said you were going to lock the dormitory door--,"

"Yeah," James cut in, "so that you couldn't get back _out_. Not so you couldn't get _in._" He watched as Remus comprehended his words. "Mate," he said slowly, perching on the arm of the couch. "Did you really think we'd just drop you like that? Over something so trivial?"

Remus stood silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. "Most people don't think it's so trivial," he finally whispered.

James watched as his friend slumped onto the couch beside him. "Well, I guess we're not most people," he responded firmly. "C'mon, Remus," he said, grabbing a pillow. "Let's go upstairs."

Remus soundlessly picked up his blanket and followed James up the staircase. "James," he said, catching up with his friend. "I… Thanks. You're all mad, but I never thought I'd make friends like you guys--,"

"Got him!" Sirius declared, snatching the startled boy by the back of the robes and dragging him into the dormitory. Peter slammed the door shut and stood triumphantly before it, as Sirius tackled Remus onto the bed and pinned him onto the mattress with a sticking spell. "Ah ha," Sirius rubbed his hands together. "Now there's no way you can leave, you sly dog, you."

James walked over to his stunned friend and looked at him in amusement. "You were saying?"

A smile replaced Remus's shocked expression. "You're all mad."


	14. The Smashing Party

Standing There By You

Ch. 14- The Smashing Party

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

Thanks for all the reviews! Hey, now I'm going to take a leaf out of Dulcis's book ; p and ask... could we try for 10 reviews? That'd be awesome- I'll love you forever! (Not that I don't already, but you know..)

Lily, Grace and Julie sat huddled in their dormitory, going over the fine details of their retaliation.

Grace hopped off her bed. "Okay, we have to remember to get the Marshmallow Fluff; that's critical."

"You're right," Lily agreed. "But where are we supposed tofind twenty barrels full?"

"I think I know a way," Grace said slowly, "but one of us is going to have to distract the boys." She nodded her head in affirmation."All rightLily, you'll-"

"What?" said Lily, jumping up beside Grace. "I'm not talking to _them_ for any longer than I have to."

Grace rolled her eyes and turned toward Julie. "How about you?"

Julie's eyes widened and she backed away. "Uh-uh."

Grace let out a loud, frustrated sigh. "You guys! Come on, _somebody's_ got to distract them for awhile, or this won't work."

"Why not you?" asked Lily.

Grace made a face. "No way."

Lily and Julie gave a collective sigh and plopped down onto their beds.

"There's got to be somebody that'll distract them for us," Grace said, leaning backwards and concentrating hard. "But who-"

"I don't know!" Val cried, as she and Angie bounded into the room. "I think I should have wore my first choice, you know, the one with the purple sequins?"

"Yes, that one's lovely... but he still looked at you, I swear he did!" Angie informed her excitedly.

"He did?" Val squealed. "Oh, well James was looking at you too, I'm almost positive!"

The two screeched there almighty annoying screeches, jumping up and down with pure joy. They went on like this for quite awhile and only stopped when they noticed three girls grinning in their direction.

"What?" Val and Angieasked suspiciously, breaking away from their ecstatic reverie.

"Oh, nothing," Lily said casually, sending Grace and Julie a side-long glance. "We've just got a bit of a favor to ask you."

As the Gryffindors filed out of their last class of the day, Grace gave Lily and Julie a meaningful nod before quickening her pace to catch up with Sirius. Coming within a reasonable distance of him, she said, "So, should be a brilliant party eh?"

Sirius turned around quickly and grinned when he saw Grace. "Oh, hello," he greeted, matching his pace to hers. "Yes, the party should be _smashing_."

Grace nodded. "That's great, I just can't wait for it."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "Everything's going to be excellent."

"Of course," Grace smiled. "This is perfect timing, too;I've had such a taste for marshmallow fluff lately."

"What?" Sirius asked, looking at her with a puzzled expression. "marshmallow fluff? What's that?"

"Uh, creamy white stuff that muggles use as a scrumptious topping," she responded, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Looking over at Sirius, she saw his face remained clueless. "You mean, you're not going to have it?"

"No, well er- what?"

"Sirius!" She exclaimed, shaking him by the shoulders. "You've _got_ to have marshmallow fluff! It's the only way the party will be a hit- without this sugary substance you've got nothing, nothing!"

"Oh!" Sirius replied, his eyes wide. "I'll get it then, right away."

Grace let go of his shoulders. "Excellent," she sighed with relief. "You're verylucky I'm here... you would've been the laughing stock of the century if I hadn't informed you of this." She shook her head. "I can't believe you didn't know about marshmallow fluff..."

"I know," Sirius said, his voice hushed. "That would've been awful. Don't tell anyone I didn't know, okay?"

Grace nodded. "Your secret's safe with me."

Sirius shot her a relieved smile. "Thanks."

"Certainly. Oh, and the marshmallow fluff has to be stored in twenty nineteen by twelve barrels, complete with lids and handles on the sides, okay?"

Sirius nodded. "Okay."

The whole of the Gryffindor house gathered in the common room that night for the party. Loud music blasted from a borrowed wireless wizarding radio, and loads of food and beverages covered every surface imaginable.

"Sirius, I still don't understand why we needed so much mushmallow stuff," James said, as he glanced over at the twenty neatly stacked barrels.

"Oh James," Sirius replied sympathetically, breaking away his conversation with a giddy first year. "If you don't understand the fundamentals of a smashing party, do notquestion them."

Remus frowned. "But nobody's even touching it."

"Oh they will," Sirius assured, smiling as two of his fellow classmates came bounding over toward him, "don't you worry."

"We told them they didn't need to start until quarter till," Julie whispered, glancing over at the two chattering girls. "The party's only just begun."

Grace shrugged. "Ah, well. You two ready then?"

"Yes," Lily replied anxiously as the three girls started toward their target destination.

"You're so excellent at Quidditch, James," Angie praised, smiling coyly. "It's no wonder you made the team!"

James grinned. "What can I say..."

"And you too Sirius," Val nodded her head vigorously. "You're brill!"

"Go, go, go..." Lily commanded, rolling two barrels at once. Glancing behind her, she saw James and Sirius were still wrapped up in conversation with the two giggling girls.

"So... like, my mum totally has this beach house down south," Angie babbled, "and whenever I'm there I always make sure to wear my pink bikini, because it matches the tropical atmosphere gorgeously."

James nodded. "That's great."

"Brilliant," Sirius grinned.

"Well, whenever _I _go to the beach," Val put in, pushing her friend aside and standing in front of Sirius. "I make sure I have at _least_ three different kinds, in case I change my mind, you know?"

"Oh yes, definitely..."

"Ugh, I spilled it!" Julie cried, motioning wildly to the toppled over barrel. Her two friends hastily scrambled toward the mess to help clean it up. Once they were done the girls got back on their feet and rushed to their task once more.

"I really like that shirt you're wearing," Val gushed, motioning to Sirius's attire. "It matches the color of your eyes beautifully."

Sirius looked down at his shirt. "Yes, yes it does."

"As does yours!" Angie announced to James, smiling flirtatiously.

Val batted her eyelashes at an alarming rate. "And those robes..."

Sirius tilted his head, concerned. "Is there something in your eye?"

"Done!" Lily announced with triumph, collapsing onto the couch. Her two friends followed suit.

"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed, looking over at the place the barrels had previously been located. "The marshmallow fluff is gone!"

Lily, Grace and Julie tensed, looking over at him with alarm.

"See James, I told you it'd be a hit!"

The next morning (or afternoon rather, it was nearly twelve noon) the Marauders gathered in the Great Hall for a last minute breakfast. They had slept late after the wicked party, which didn't end until the wee hours of the night.

"Could you pass me the sugar?" Sirius asked, in midst of a wide yawn.

Remus obliged, but inadvertently handed him the salt instead. Sirius took no notice, however, as he dumped the grainy substance on top of his breakfast.

"So what should we do tonight?" James asked his drowsy mates. "Care to test those filibusters on the Slytherins? There was one in particular that was acting a bit irksome."

"I don't know," Remus replied, just as Sirius choked on his sodium laced porridge.

Sirius emptied his flask of pumpkin juice in one swig, gagging at the unnatural taste. "Remus isright," he said, once the his taste buds had fully healed. "We just did the filibuster thing last week. It's getting a bit dull. We need to try something a bit more interesting."

Remus looked as if those weren't his sentiments at all. He was merely going to suggest perhaps they get some _sleep_ for once.

Their plates emptied, the four boys got up and headed out the door, ready to plan another night of adventures. Turning a corner, they heard the start of a conversation between their fellow Gryffindors.

"Oh this is going to be brilliant, completely brilliant!" Grace exclaimed, as she, Lily and Julie fought to contain their anxious grins. "I can't _wait _to see their expressions."

"Yeah," Lily agreed excitedly. "The," here she made a disgusted face, "_Marauders_ won't be so full of themselves after this, now will they?"

Upon hearing their name the four boys did a quick backtrack and ducked behind a large statue, listening to the girls' conversation with immediateinterest.

"What time are they supposed to arrive?" Julie asked.

"Exactly midnight," Grace replied. "The entire shipment of dungbombs will arrive in the owlery, and then in the morning we can... well, you know." Here she grinned mischieviously, as did Lily and Julie. "Come on," she said, beckoning her two friends onward. "Let's go, I've got this incredible..."

The girls' voices became faint as they strolled down the rest of the hallway, and with identical grins to the ones the girls had previously donned, the four boys stepped out from behind the safety of the statue.

"What do ya' say, Sirius?" James asked, staring after the girls with relish. "Is this interesting enough for you?"

A/N: Uh oh... ; )


	15. Newton's Law

Standing There By You

Ch. 15- Newton's Law

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

A/N: Sputter. Gasp. Jaw drops to the floor in utter and absolute amazement. AHHHHH!!! You guys totally and completely rock!! I'm so very _very_ happy... woo, I passed 10! hehe. But really, it makes me feel soo very good when I see such a fantabulous response like that, thanks thanks thanks! Oh yes, and... Guess what... Today's my birthday! Yes, I'm posting on my birthday, just for special people like you! Now. Guess.. just guess, what would be the absolute _perfect_ present. Yup, you know it... Reviews! The ultimate sweet sixteen prezzie in the world, better than gifts or money, so... please review! Thanks for listening to my incessant babbling : ) Now, on with the story!

"You blokes ready?" James asked, whipping his invisibility cloak off the dresser and tossing it over his shoulder.

Sirius grinned. "Yup. Let's go."

James, Sirius and Peter started heading out the door, but Remus lingered behind.

"Wait," he called, as they started down the stairs. "Don't you think we should plan this out a bit?"

James turned around. "What's there to plan out? We walk in there five minutes before midnight, lock the door so they can't come in, and steal their dungbombs. We'll figure out the rest once we get there."

"Well come on then," Sirius said impatiently. "It's nearly quarter till already."

The four boys, Remus albeit reluctantly, marched down the stairs and through the empty common room.

"Isn't it funny," Sirius commented, as they trooped toward the owlery, "that the girls _actually _think they can trick us?"

"There faces will be priceless!" James said, smiling eagerly. Then he added, "Too bad we didn't bring a camera."

"Ah, well," Sirius waved his hand in dismissal. "I doubt we'll ever forget this."

"Okay, here we are," James announced, stepping into the dark open quarters that somewhat resembled, in appearance and scent, a massive birdcage.

They crept across the room, careful of bird droppings and nesting owls.

"They're so dense," Sirius chuckled, as he and his friends watched the inky black sky for traces of a carrier owl. "They thought they could pull one over on us? Ha!"

The others nodded in agreement, their eyes not leaving the night sky. After several minutes passed and still no sight of an owl, they began to get impatient.

James pushed up the sleeve of his robe and held the watch face up to his bespectacled eyes. "What's taking so long? It's already past midnight, it should be here by now." He turned to Sirius. "You'd better lock the door. The girls will be here any moment."

"Right," Sirius went to take a large stride toward the entrance.

Unfortunately for him, his feet did not budge.

"Whoa!" Sirius yelled, wobbling dangerously. "What the..."

"Hurry up," James prodded. "They're probably coming."

"I can't!" Sirius said, trying vainly to lift his foot from it's seemingly permanent position. It remained still.

"Oh fine, I'll do it myself," James began to stomp toward the door, but looking down he found he hadn't moved either.

Remus and Peter looked over at their struggling friends, and tested their own feet as well. Peter fell over twice in the process, and Remus weakly gave up after several tries.

James and Sirius gave up on the pointless battle and slowly looked up at one another. Frowning, Sirius began, "You don't think..."

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Before Sirius had a chance to finish his question, the four boys were covered head to toe in... you guessed it, Marshmallow Fluff.

For a few moments the boys stood dumbfounded, looking much like the ghosts young muggles dressed up as on Halloween... only melting.

"Fshfph," James sputtered, sending some of the creamy white substance flying in the process. "What.. in.. the.. world..."

"I've got a feeling there's no order of dungbombs," Remus commented weakly, as he took off his glasses and attempted to wipe them off.

"You know," Sirius began, his voice muffled by the copious amounts of sugary cream covering his mouth, "they didn't even get us that bad. The whole thing's actually quite... tasty." As if to prove his point, he plopped a large dollop of Marshmallow Fluff into his mouth.

"You know, you're right," James agreed, turning his head to look at his white blob of a friend. "I mean, they didn't even-"

James was cut off as small objects began to rain down on them. "What the..."

"Ugh, birdseed!!"

As if on cue, dozens of owls swooped down onto the boys, pecking fervishly.

"Ahhh!" Sirius yelled, swatting off the birds. "Help, help!"

From around the corner they could hear several girls laughing, and then their loud footsteps as they retreated down the stairwell.

"Help, they'll eat me alive!" Sirius exclaimed, thrashing about in hopeless attempts to free his feet.

"Sirius,"

"I'm paralyzed!" he yelled, trying desperately to fend off the ambushing owls. "I'm going to be stuck here forever! Stuck in this horrible-"

"Sirius!"

"The pain!" he yelped, still flailing around incessantly. "The pain of the pecking! I'm not going to make it out of here alive, I'm-"

"SIRIUS!"

"Wh-what?" Sirius turned his head to look at his exasperated friend.

"We can just use our wands," James informed him, pointing to his own magical apparatus. "They've charmed the floor and stuck our feet, but they _haven't_ bound our hands."

Sirius broke away from his panicked craze and looked down at his wand, and back up at James. Looking in front of him, he saw Remus had undone himself and Peter, and they were already stepping out of the room.

"Oh."

The boys began to trudge down the stairs, sopping, sticky, and covered in birdseed, but grinning nonetheless. The girls may have succeeded in pranking them, but the boys had still managed to get out.

"We," James said, as they plodded step by step, "will _always_ come out on top."

"Yeah," Sirius nodded, "they could never-"

"And what do we have here?"

The boys' heads whipped up as they heard the unexpected oily voice. Cringing, they came face to face with none other than Argus Filch.

"Er..."

"Do you realize how long this is going to take to clean up!?" he shouted, motioning to the top of the stairs and owlery. It was a sight indeed, with gooky white footprints trailing the boys, and a blizzard of fluff and birdseed in the owlery. Not to mention sopping birds, their feathers tacky with remnants of the glutinous substance.

"Well you see," James began, looking at his mates for support. "It wasn't even-"

"Detention!" Filch barked, taking a few staggering steps toward the mess. He slowly turned toward the protesting boys. "Two days each. And you have to clean up this.. this..." he left the sentence hanging, letting his popping vain finish it for him.

"What!?" James and Sirius exclaimed furiously.

"And they'll be separate detentions," he continued, staring at the four boys with disgust. "You can't trust when any of you get together."

The Marauders stared after him in shock as he ambled back down the staircase, muttering madly.

"This is an outrage!" James shouted, furious that the girls had possibly bested them.

"Yeah it is," Sirius huffed. "I can't believe..." he trailed off, and his expression changed from fuming to crestfallen. "Wait... the Marshmallow Fluff _wasn't _a hit?"

Wiry gray hair, a tiny nose that much resembled a pushpin, and dull eyes that couldn't quite be named a color, hovered over James Potter, inspecting him with narrowed eyes.

"Hold out your hands," She directed, her voice aged and raspy.

James paused a moment, debating to obey the old Divintation Professor or not. He didn't have her yet- Divintation wasn't offered until third year- but she looked mighty suspicious to him.

He stared back at her with mistrust. "What do you want with them?"

The frail old lady heaved an impatient sigh. "To inspect them. They must be checked, as to see if they are worthy of coming in contact the with a crystal ball." She motioned toward his clenched hands. "Now hold them out."

James looked down at his hands. They seemed pretty crystal ball worthy to him. Looking back up at the professor, he began, "What are the conditions, ex-"

"You are much more of a hassle, then a help, Mr. Potter," she interrupted, rubbing her temples wearily. "Remind me to _never_ allow Argus to assign one of your detentions to me again."

James nodded and gave a cheeky smile. "Okay." He extended his arms, turning his palms to face the ceiling.

The professor grasped his hands, peering at them closely. She inspected every crease and print, apparently taking careful note of each tiny detail. After several dragging minutes of "Mmm-hmm's, I see, and Interesting..." she finally released his hands, and pointed to a shelf above her.

"The crystal balls," she discerned, taking a wobbly step toward the glass orbs. "You are to take this," here the professor handed him a large bottle containing a thick blue substance, "rub them on the enchanted, _delicate_ spheres, wait five minutes, and then quickly rid of the remedy. Understand?"

James nodded. This was going to be easy! Sirius was going to be livid when he told him what an effortless detention he was assigned, he recalled Sirius had to dig up some hot tempered plants in the Herbology houses.

The old professor swept her wand across the room in one drastic motion, allowing a red velvet curtain that perimeted the room to be magically drawn. It revealed rows and rows of crystal balls, and from where James stood there appeared to be hundreds.

"What?" James gaped. "I've got to clean _all_ of these?!"

The professor did not respond, only handing him the bottle of cleanser, and turning out of the room.

"Well isn't this just dandy," James grumbled to himself, as he turned the bottle over. It was marked Vitrum abolla, and underneath several general instructions were listed.

"I will be back in three quarters of an hour," she called, her voice fading as she distanced herself further from the room, "and be careful..."

James let out a deep breath, turning toward the never ending supply of crystal balls. He grudgingly reached for the first one, squirting a large amount of the blue cleanser on top of it. Just as he was about rub the mixture in, a loud noise sounded in his pocket.

Startled, James dropped the heavy ball. "Whoops," he muttered, frowning at the pile of broken glass. Bending to pick it up, the sound emitted from his pocket once more.

Digging in his pocket curiously, James retrieved several wrappers, a bit of old toast, and a square mirror.

"Oh right," he quipped, flipping over the mirror with delight. "Hello Sirius!"

"Hi," Sirius responded, although a considerable amount less cheerfully then James.

"What's wrong," James asked.

"I hate anything green and wriggly," Sirius stated, glaring at something to his left, out of James's view.

"Well at least you don't have to clean these," James said, bringing the mirror up to the shelves of crystal balls. "I swear there's at _least_ a million here."

Sirius nodded sadly. "My detention bites." Then, looking resentful, he added, "Literally."

"I-"

"Who are you talking too?" a croaky voice demanded, startling James out of his wits.

"Who's that?" Sirius asked, trying to peer at the figure nearing toward James.

"Professor Evoco," James whispered out of the corner of his mouth. Raising his voice, he said quickly, "Er- no one, professor." He ducked the mirror out of view, and the professor stopped half-way across the room.

Eyeing him suspiciously, she said, "I distinctly heard voices. Now, _who_ were you talking to?"

"Er..." James looked around the room, desperate for an excuse. His eyes met the crystal ball before him. "This!"

The professor frowned. "You were talking to the crystal ball?"

"Oh yes," James replied, staring into the glass orb. "I thought I saw something so I er.. talked to it."

"Oh really?" The professor asked, her eyes alight. "What did it say?"

"It said, erm.." James glanced at the ball hopefully.

"Woooo..."

James squinted his eyes at the ball, and realized the mysterious noise was coming from the mirror; Sirius was trying to 'help' him out. Stifling a laugh, he lowered the mirror a bit.

"Oh," The professor gasped, ambling over to him. "What was that?"

"Must be the..."

"Spirits!" Sirius hissed.

"Spirits," James said, nodding. "Must be the ancient spirits."

The professor peered at him before returning his nod slowly. "You must have the gift."

"Ooh, a gift!" Sirius squealed. James quickly muffled the mirror with his fist.

"Yes," James said, bowing his head modestly. "I must."

"Very well!" The professor praised. Suddenly her eyes widened. "Oh, I won't disturb you any longer, go, speak with the spirits," she turned on her heel and hastily scrambled out of the room.

James grinned as he held up the mirror and saw a laughing Sirius.

Maybe detentions weren't so bad, after all...

****

A/N: Ah, and thus begins the detention-crazed Marauders. First off, the chap. title, Newton's Law, would be referring to his third one: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Thought it was fitting : ) Oh, and.. does anyone know a code to get a livejournal? It says you need one from somebody already on the site, so if someone could e-mail me, that'd be great. (If you don't have the code, but just information, I'd appreciate that too)

dreamlessnights- WOW! I'm soooo excited that you reviewed all 14 chapters, it meant so much to me!! I would never ever get sick of your reviews whether they be a word long, or a novel, I gobble 'em all up! Thanks millions and millions : ) Yeah, I had Remus talking to Professor Fides, mostly because I wanted to show he was a nifty and caring teacher.. someone the students trust. And, since the staff already knew about it, I figured I'd give old Remmey someone to talk to. Hm.. I could prob. write a whole other fic just about Remus. But.. most likely I won't, lol. Oh yes, and.. Angie and Val are quite unusual, aren't they? They are in real life, too. ; )

-Check out my bio for further intriguing information!

Darkness-nightfall- Oooh yay, new reviewer! Hehe, glad you like it, thanks bundles for reviewing!

Molly- Lol, you're very hard to please, you know that? I personally thought Marshmallow Fluff was original (actually it was my beta's idea... go idea expander!) well, I've never seen it done before, anyway. And... oh, American slang. I'm really sorry that it's annoying you, but I honestly can't help it. When I'm writing I use my own lingo, so I really don't have a clue when I'm using American slang, and when I'm not. Besides, sure Hogwarts in in England, but not all of the students that go there are English. They're in the Europe region, of course, but they're not all the same by any means. Sorry, but my writing isn't going to get drastically un-American anytime soon... but, is it really that annoying? Well.. thanks for the review anyway, and yes, Remus is wonderful : )

P.S. I'm watching American Idol right now

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hprincess- Hey, thanks for reviewing! Yes, I am evil leaving it at a cliffie, mwuhahaha! Whoops, sorry bout that. Anyhoo... can the boys get covered in marshmallow fluff? Well sure!

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Morgan Riordan- Good question. What _are_ they to do with all the fluff? Dump in on the Marauders, of course! : D

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Suji- I must admit, when I first got your review I was immensely worried.. that meant my first two reviewers had figured it out!! Hehehe, I guess my reviewers are much too smart for me. Next time I'll try harder to pull one over on ya, k? lol.. thanks bunches and bunches for your review (you know I love em!) mmm.. what else, oh yeah, everybody check out IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE cuz it's super duper! especially if you like younger years like these, Suji here takes a different view on it, but it's really interesting! (and good!) soo... read it.

curiousknowitall- I'm glad you're enjoying this, cause I'm really enjoying your reviews! (Oh man, how cheesy..)

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Lanette- Glad you liked it.. hmm, let's see. Do I like writing about the Marauders more than Lily's friends? That's a good question. I'd say no, there's just soo much more stuff involving the Marauders, that there's so much more to write. I _have_ been doing a lot about the boys though, haven't I? Perhaps I should do a bit more girls, cause next year is a whole lotta more boys. (Animagus, etc.) Oh, and killerpurplefroggy's your friend? What a small world! Lol. Well, I'm assuming you haven't written any stories cuz you don't have a pen name, but if you do, I'd love to check them out. Oh yeah, and thanks for the advice about the chap. title.. it's just hard coming up with ones that actually have relevance, you know? The first couple of titles were fun to come up with, but now it's just plain hard. Ah well. Thanks again!

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Ponette-Wow! Two ette's in one update! That's alrite, you ette's rock, as do your reviews : p Yup, this story is a bit crazy, isn't it? Actually it's a lot crazy.. maybe that's cause _I'm _a lot crazy. lol... thanks for the review!!

p.s.- if you don't know why i am referring to ette's repeatedly in this response, look up.

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SuperHiperChit- Lol, don't worry!! Of course I would never just let them overhear it like that, I'm not _that _cruel! Oh good, if you _do _write a L/J fic, make sure I know! I'd really love to check it out : )

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Siriuslyfun19212- Guess what! You were right when you were trying to be right and right when people say you're right and nobody's saying you're wrong and you're not wrong when people aren't insisting you're wrong and I hope you like me and I insist you're right so please don't spite me!

oh, and... thanks for the review : )

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MidnightPrincess- sigh. and _just _when you thought the Marauders were safe. : ) Aw, I couldn't let them get away that easily, could I? lol.. thanks for the review!!

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Dulcis Caelum- Everybody please read Dumbledore's Daughter, and pleeease review!

Jess- Yay.. thanks for the review! Yes, we are good distracters, aren't we? : )

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Oksana- Nope, a party is definitely NOT a party w/out Marshmallow Fluff! Thanks for the review : )

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IrishMaiden- Hehe, thanks for reviewing, glad you liked it!! Love ya bunches : )

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Aerandir- Mmm.. last on the list again. Sorry!! You know I love ya : ) Oh yeah, thanks for the review!

Don't forget.. perfect prezzie! : )


	16. Confiding In Fides

Standing There By You

Ch. 16- Confiding In Fides

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

A/N: Utterly speechless : ) I love you all...

Lily looked up from her book, as four fellow second years entered the common room. She watched the Marauders walk across the room and ascend the staircase, disappearing out of sight. Frowning, she turned toward her friends.

"Isn't it odd," she began slowly, peering across her shoulder at the stairs, "that they haven't shown any sign of getting us back. I would've thought we'd have to be on our guard 24/7, but they've barely even acknowledged it."

Grace shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. But-"

"Don't worry, Evans."

Lily jumped at the unexpected voice, and turned quickly to the source. Seeing James, her eyes widened. "I distinctly saw you go up-stairs!"

"Did you?" He asked, tilting his head in mock puzzlement. "How odd." James smirked as Lily scowled, eyeing him suspiciously. "Anyway," he said, walking around the couch and plopping beside Lily. "No worries. We have absolutely no plans to retaliate."

"Oh," Lily commented, still sending him a glare of suspicion. "And why not?"

James leaned over her lap, ignoring the question. His face contorted into a look of disgust. "The Magic Within?! Why are you reading this _again_? You just read it last year!"

Lily snapped the book shut and held the it protectively against her chest. "It's my favorite book, that's why. None of your business, anyway."

James rolled his eyes. "You're so weird," he muttered, standing up.

"Hey, I wouldn't be making snide comments if I were you," Lily shot at him. "Especially considering you're all frightened of us now."

James laughed. "Frightened? Of you?"

"Yes," Lily replied, smiling contemptibly. "You are afraid to try and get us back, after all."

"Sure we are," James said sarcastically. "I never said we aren't going to get you back. You lot are so juvenile; it's the element of surprise that counts most."

"We are not juvenile!" Grace shouted, standing up beside him. "Our pranking techniques are just as good as yours, if not better."

"Right," James stood up, shaking his head. "And this is coming from the girls who forgot to take our wands."

"We didn't forget!" Lily shouted, as James began to walk to the Portrait Hole. "And remember, you got a detention too, how do you know we didn't set that up, huh?"

James kept on walking. "You didn't."

"And how would you know?"

"Because you didn't," he replied simply, swinging open the portrait.

"How would you know?"

"Because you didn't," he repeated, just before disappearing through the exit.

Lily frowned as the portrait clicked shut. "How did he know?"

"Remus, you need to take a break from studying," Sirius commented, nodding to his towering pile of books. "Exams aren't for..."

"Two weeks," Remus supplied, not glancing up from a large Herbology book. "And you lot better crack open a text sometime soon, unless you'd like to fail, that is."

"We won't fail," James responded airily. "It's all up here," he pointed to his head. "Right mate?"

"Right," Sirius agreed, nodding. "All up here."

"Right!" Peter quipped, throwing a book across his bed lazily. "We did pass with flying colors last year, didn't we?"

James, Sirius and Remus eyed each other wearily. The three boys scored fantastically, but Peter in fact, did _not _pass with flying colors. Far from, actually.

"Well maybe we should study," James began uncertainly. It'd be rather unfortunate if his friend _did_ fail, after all.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, probably." The two boys looked over at Peter meaningfully.

" 'Course," he said, grabbing the book that lay haphazardly on top of his bed.

James and Sirius looked down at their own books with matching looks of dread and boredom.

Several silent moments passed by, in which Remus raced across the lines with interest, James concentrated on twiddling his thumbs, Sirius stared at a speck across the room as he emitted a numerous amount of bored sighs, and Peter glanced at his book, mouth slack.

After five minutes or so of this, James spoke up.

"Well, maybe we can study later."

"Sounds good!" Sirius said, throwing aside his book and hopping off his bed. "Let's go check out that room we found, or perhaps-"

"'Fraid I can't," Remus said, peering outside the window.

"Oh, c'mon Remus," Sirius said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "Have some _fun_ once in awhile, why don't you?"

Remus sighed. "Wish I could. It's a full moon, though." Setting aside his book, he stood up and walked across the room. "I'll see you guys later."

Remus reached for his cloak, and made to head out the door. "Oh," Sirius said, stepping up beside him. "Well we'll come too, then."

"Er.. I don't think that'd be such a good idea."

"Why not?" Sirius asked, smiling. "It'll be fun. I've always wondered what a werewolf looks like." Remus opened his mouth to respond, but Sirius continued on. "It's got to be awfully lonely out there, anyway. We'll come keep you company!"

"Sirius," Remus began slowly. "I don't think you're comprehending the whole werewolf thing. They don't exactly.. get along with humans."

"Oh," Sirius frowned. "Right."

"Bye then," Remus said, as he disappeared down the stair-case.

Sirius stared after him for a few moments, before turning toward James. "So, there's absolutely nothing we can do?"

James frowned and shook his head. "Guess not."

Sirius looked over to where Remus had been, and furrowed his brow. "Well that's unfair," he said, standing up angrily. "We went through all that trouble to find what was wrong, and now we've just got to sit here and do nothing?"

"I know," said James. "Do you think there's anything we could do?"

"There's got to be something," Sirius said, his face determined. "And whatever it is, we'll figure it out."

James nodded. "We wouldn't be the Marauders otherwise, right?"

Sirius smiled. "Right."

"Please pass these along," Professor Fides requested, handing stacks of parchments down the rows. "Hopefully you'll find them useful."

Looking down at the paper in her hands, Lily gave a small squeak of delight. "Recommended topics to study," she said excitedly, "and oh, look there's several techniques at the bottom!"

"Yay," Grace commented dryly. "How very exciting."

"Isn't it?" Lily asked, not catching on to Grace's sarcasm.

Several minutes later Professor Fides dismissed the class, and after the majority of the students departed, he retreated to his back office.

James glanced side-ways at Sirius and Peter. Remus was still in the Hospital Wing, as he always was after a particularly tough night in the Shrieking Shack. The boys nodded, and they strode up to the front of the room, before the professor's office.

James knocked, and as the door was slightly ajar, it pushed open with one light tap. Their professor looked up from his messy desk, and seeing the three hesitant boys, he grinned.

"What can I do for you?" He asked, opening the door wider to welcome them in.

Sirius got right to the point. "We want to help Remus," he said, looking up at his professor.

His eyes widened as if he hadn't been expecting this. "Here," Professor Fides said, motioning to a disgruntled couch and two armchairs, "take a seat."

The boys did so, and Professor Fides watched them with interest as he perched onto his desk. "I assume," he started slowly, "that you're talking about his.. monthly ailment?"

"Oh no," Sirius said, before anyone else could answer. "We know he's a werewolf."

James rolled his eyes and Professor Fides gave a small chuckle. "Okay then. What exactly do you mean.. help?"

The boys were silent, as each tried to figure out what it was exactly that they wanted to do. "Well, we're not really sure," James finally spoke up. "All we know is that we want to help. He's our friend; we can't just sit around and do nothing."

Professor Fides nodded slowly. "Alright. Well," he glanced at a calendar that hung on his wall, "the school year's nearly over, and there won't be any more full moons until holidays, so there's not much you can do until next year."

Three sets of shoulders sagged- it was very unlike the Marauders to do absolutely nothing, especially in a case as important as this.

"Well," Professor Fides began, seeing their disappointed faces. "That's not to say that you can't brainstorm over the summer, and then see me once you arrive back. I'll look over some of my books, and see if I can't find a few possibilities too."

The boys looked a considerable amount happier. "Okay," they agreed, standing up. Professor Fides watched the boys depart, their heads already close together as they elaborated on several possibilities.

Shutting his door, Professor Fides frowned as he glanced over his over-stuffed bookcases. Silently wondering what he had gotten himself into, he grabbed a pile of books, and began shifting through them. He wasn't one to go back on his word, after all.

A/N: Alright, so if you couldn't tell, second year is nearing it's end. I think next chapter will be the last of this year, and then it's off to third : ) Sorry if you think I'm rushing this, but there's only so much you can put in the first couple of years, without ruining things for the later. Oh, and several people asked me about Remus and Peter's detention, so let's just say they were scrubbing the owlery, okay? : ) Thanks.

Morgan Riordan- hehe, thanks mucho! I'm glad you liked that, thanks for the review!

Siriuslyfun19212- Yes, thinking can be dangerous, can't it? lol, thanks for the wonderful review, i LOVE the long ones. Oh, and there's absolutely no problem with over-using words of excitement : ) Makes me feel special

hprincess- Yay, glad you liked it! Oooh, gummy bears is a good idea, it's funny how many pranks could be created out of food. Thanks for the suggestion, but as the chapter implied, the boys won't be getting the girls back just yet. Thanks for the review!

dreamlessnights- heyhey! lol, i'm glad i made you laugh : ) Thanks for the review!!

Suji- Wow!! Very much enjoyed the long review, very awesome : ) lol, yes, this could cause problems, and yes, we love em! Thank you endlessly for the great (and consistent) reviews, I just adore them.

Oxide-insanity- Thanks! I'm really glad you like it, and the review is soo much appreciated.

Siriusly-Devilish-Angel- Thanks for the review, I'm glad you like em!

Lanette- Hey, I'm sure any of your stories would be awesome!! You can tell how somebody writes (as in a fanfic story) or would write, just by the reviews they send, and I can tell by yours. Just give it a shot if you have time, it's soo fun. If you need any help, you can always e-mail me. Thanks for the review!

Secret Lily- I'm glad you liked it, and I took a peek at your story (or actually, stories) how do you keep up with them all?! hehe, well, i only had time to really read one, I'll try and check out more in the future.

Angelfish13- Wow, I never even thought about seeker being the prank, lol, good idea : ) Thanks for the review!

Imperishable Stars- Yay! I thought you were lost forever : ) Thanks for the review(s), very much appreciated. Mmm.. oh, about Remus wearing glasses, I dunno, I just kind of assumed he did. I guess I'm being prejudice, eh? Smart people wearing glasses. But, as I imagine him, I see him with a thin, light pair of silverish (but not real silver, for obvious reasons) glasses. Oh, and yes, I. Hate. Movie. Remus. ARGH!! He's soooo ugly.... why?!?! How could they ruin such fantastically sexy men? Stupid people.

Marauder Marion- hehe, glad you liked it : ) Thanks loads for the review!

Midnight Princess- Glad you liked Sirius. Did you really think the prank was lame? mm.. i guess it sort of was supposed to be, we can't have the Marauders out done, now can we?

Aerandir- Lol, I'm very happy that you enjoyed it : )

Jess- Yay, glad you liked the chap. title! : ) Thanks for the review!

EW4eva- Oooh good, I'm glad I could trick some people, hehehe. Thanks for the fabulous review!

Dulcis Caelum- You're going away? Okie doke, I'll just assume you mean an exotic foreign country where there's intricate silk fabrics and nice looking cabana boys... sigh. Don't dissapoint me and say you just went out of town, okay? Oh yeah, and I'm also assuming there's no computers where you went.


	17. Scrambling Snape and Sickening Sisters

Standing There By You

Ch. 17- Scrambling Snape and Sickening Sisters

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

A/N: Guess what I'm eating. No, you'll never guess. Ice Mice! Of course they're by some strange muggle company that _thinks_ their products are real.. but we all know they're not, right? Cause the _real_ stuff would move and groove and be all cool like that. Oh, and I've got Fizzing Whizbees! The muggle makers create them a whole lot like pop rocks, but hey, that's okay! Oh yeah, the story, right...

There was a certain time in Hogwarts, when absolutely everything seemed in disarray.

Sure, pre-exam time was berserk, with lines of students hastily checking out books, late night studying, and apprehensive students cramming in endless amounts of information. And of course, the post-exam period was quite chaotic, with ecstatic kids celebrating every chance they got, but by far, the time that drove everyone mad, was the short period between exams. Frantic students darted throughout the corridors, nearly on their wits end as they desperately stuffed in all of the facts and data they could into their brains at the very last minute, tears of frustration welling up in eyes of the anxious, as they zoomed across the halls. One would have to be insane to walk through these frenzied hallways unless in dire need, as risk of injury was great. In one word, it was chaos. Pure chaos.

And then there were the Marauders.

"What's everyone so hyped up about?" James asked lazily, as he sauntered beside his friends in the bustling hallway.

"Dunno," Sirius shrugged.

Remus rolled his eyes. This act, of course, wasn't visible, considering a large book was currently in the very near proximity of his face. While his friends expertly avoided the exam time madness, he did not.

Sirius yawned. "Do you think McGonagall will mind if we're a teensy bit late? I was thinking of getting a little-"

"Argh!" James shouted, as he and another boy tumbled to the floor. Fixing his glasses that had fallen askew, he glared at the boy before him. "Watch where you're going, Snape!"

Severus didn't answer him; books upon books lay scattered across the floor, and the pale boy was hastily scrambling to retrieve them.

Sirius bent over and picked up a book. Glancing over the title, his face contorted into a look of disgust, and a scowl deepened as he tossed the book aside and looked over the other books.

"A bit interested in the Dark Arts," Sirius stated, more than asked.

Severus still didn't answer. He tucked the last of his fallen books into his bag, and in several quick strides was gone.

"Well he's not very polite, now is he?" James remarked, glaring at the boy's retreating back.

Sirius shook his head. "Perhaps we can teach him some manners?" A glint appeared in James and Sirius's eyes, and Remus frowned when he saw this- yet kept silent.

"Oy, Snape!" James called, as he and Sirius walked fast to catch up with him.

Severus turned around briskly, and narrowed his eyes a bit when he was met with the Marauders.

"We've decided," Sirius began, gesturing to his fellow comrades, "that you need to learn some manners."

"And the first step would be for us to give you an example. In fact, we are so kind as to inform you that you're bag is ripping."

Severus looked down, and saw his bag did indeed have a large tear growing along the seams. Looking back up, he saw it was Sirius's wand that was causing this. "Stop!" He yelled, trying to grab his books before they fell. He was unsuccessful; books tumbled out boundlessly.

James, Sirius and Peter wore equal smirks as they watched the boy struggle. The last of the books fell, and just as Severus gathered the lot, the Marauders sent them flying once more. This time the books ended up at the very end of the corridor, where they landed with a thump and scattered across the floor.

A bell rang, signaling the final warning before exams were to begin. Students darted to their classes, knocking into Severus's books in the process.

"Well, we best be going," James announced, making a big motion out of checking his watch. "You'd better hurry, tests commence in five minutes."

He and Sirius grinned as they turned and headed toward their next class, laughing as Severus's hopeless attempts, along with shouts of frustration, could be heard echoing throughout the hall.

"Can you believe the year's finally over?" Julie asked, propping herself up over the warm, sun baked grass.

"I know!" Grace grinned. "Can't wait for the Holidays, just think, _three months _without homework."

Glancing over at Lily, she noticed her friend wasn't nearly as jubilant as she should be. "What wrong?"

Lily snapped quickly out of her sullen state, trying, and failing, to return Grace's previous grin. "Nothing," she said.

Grace and Julie squinted at her doubtfully. "Honestly, Lily," said Grace. "You think you can pull that on us?"

Lily feeble attempt at a smile vanished. "Suppose not." She leaned back onto the soft greenery, Grace and Julie following suit. "It's just my sister. I really don't think I can take three months of her bothersome..ness."

"Bothersomeness?" Grace repeated, but cut off when Julie quickly elbowed her side.

"It'll be alright Lily," said Julie. "You've gotten through holidays with her before, why should this be any different?"

Lily turned over on her side to face Julie. "Well I don't know, but at Christmas she was particularly horrid. She got worse as the vacation progressed; if she's that bad over break, how in the world am I supposed to last a whole summer?"

"Hex her into oblvion?" Grace suggested.

Lily sighed. "Can't use magic over the holidays."

"She doesn't know that."

Lily giggled. "True."

Julie smiled. "There, better now?"

"Yes," Lily nodded.

"But I still don't want to go back there."

"Is it that awful?" James asked, frowning. He hated to have his best friend trapped with such monsters for all of break.

Sirius sighed. "Worse."

"You'll come over again, then?"

Sirius nodded. While the prospect of visiting the Potters very much lightened his mood, the dread of spending the rest of the break with his family was still disheartening.

"We can practice for Quidditch," Sirius said, shoving the grim thoughts aside. "Did you hear there'll be an opening for beater?"

James grinned. "Brilliant! Quincy's the whole reason we lost the cup this year, I'm sure we'll win with you on the team."

James's first game of Quidditch had gone fairly well; the young seeker had performed fantastically, but the team lost nonetheless. Whether it had been Quincy's fault or not, when the Golden Snitch was caught, Gryffindor had yet to score enough points.

"I think there's also a spot for Chaser," Sirius commented. "Wonder who's going to try out."

James shrugged. "Well, guess we should be going."

The two boys glanced at their messy trunks, and all sorts of clothes that lay stewn about. Groaning, they inwardly vowed to work on their procastination, as they stuffed everything in, not bothering with any order. By the time they were all packed and ready, they had to rush down the stairs and out of the common room, as not to miss the train's departure. They darted out of the huge oak doors, and down the magnificent steps- a familiar routine that was sure to repeat itself next year, and for many years to follow.

A/N: MUST READ.. Okay, I really don't want to look like I'm completely copying JKR's works with the whole, Petunia not knowing she can't do magic over the holidays, etc., but you have to figure, if Petunia didn't know Harry couldn't use magic over the holidays, she _must_ have thought Lily could. I therefore _had_ to add that part in, in the sense that I'm (trying) to work together everything mentioned in the books. Also, you must must must trust me that chapters will get longer and more involved at they get older, okay? Thanks : )

Molly- ::leans over and accepts lilies:: : ) But really, I am very very grateful for constructive criticism, its just the whole 'annoying american slang' that was getting to me, because it's something I can't really help. Thank you for all of the advice and suggestions, etc., everything is very much appreciated. Also, thanks for not dis-banning my story, and the whole author alert thing, that means a lot. Ah, and make sure you tell me the user-name you put your story under, I'll be watching for it!

MidnightPrincess- Oh good, I'm glad you didn't think it was too lame : ) hehe, anyhoo.. WOW you can out-do the Marauders... interesting.... wow, i am insane. Thanks for the review!!

Hprincess- one word.. huh? you'll have to be a bit more specific dearie, over the summer.. what? I have come to two conclusions to decipher what your cryptic review meant: a) over the summer in Harry Potter world, as in, write their over the summer adventures, or b) over the summer in my world, as in, me, the author, writing the story over my summer vacation. In response to a), perhaps I'll write that, but I have so much that I want to get written, that I don't want to drag out the first couple of years, and in response to b) of course i'll write over the summer! Nice, long chapters too. And, no worries, as we progress throughout the story, the older years will be much longer : ) thanks for the review!

Oksana- Yup, my birthday was SMASHING, hehe, thanks. And why does it sound so familiar.. Angie stole it! she stole it, and i want it back... muh hahahaha. but not really. oh, and who do you _think_ wrote the chapter, hmmmm?

Loki Mischeif-Maker- Ooh, I'm really glad you like it : ) Thanks for the review, it made me feel splendid.

Nymphadora003- Wow!! Thanks for the...EIGHT reviews, you're awesome! I'm glad you like it, and, as for the whole HP movie thing, I've already ranted in a review to you : ) whoops, sorry bout that. Ah, and prudish Lily. Poor prudish Lily, yes, I do hope she'll get less prudish, but we'll just have to wait and see, now won't we?

EW4eva- Hmm.. not really sure what to say, since we've already traded several e-mails, but.. thanks for the review!

FAIRYPRINCESS13- ROTFL! For some odd reason (maybe it was the surplus amount of sugar I'd recently inhaled) the whole, making up the AngelFish13 sent me into hysterics. Anyhoo! Yes, it makes me mad how the boys are nice to ol' Petie, but alas, that is how J.K.R. portrayed it. Thanks for the review!!

Dreamlessnights- lol, I'm glad you liked it! I enjoy when people tell me the parts they like- makes me feel super duper! : ) Thanks for the review!!

Aerandir- You're right!

Manny2003- Okie doke, I did it ASAP, as you wish! Thanks for the review : )

Dulcis Caelum- EW, sleep would never be as important as Harry Potter. You are rightio. Yes, I DID take a poll. : p

Suji- Thanks for the review! lol, awesome, I love english moods! They're the best. Cheerio!

Thanks for all the reviews!! I love you : )


	18. The Sunny Season

Standing There By You

Ch. 18- The Sunny Season

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

A/N: Your wish is my demand, hprincess. This chapter has a couple different summer point of views, there's really no order (aside from chronological, of course) and it just basically skims over several character's summers. Here ya go...

Lily munched mindlessly on her Crunchy Oats, as she held the cereal box in one hand, and dangled a spoon with the other. She was currently skimming the ingredients; she had already completed the crossword puzzle and read over the 'fun facts'. It was early morning, so only she and her mother- who was currently fumbling around with the coffee pot- were awake.

"Don't hold your spoon like that dear," Mrs. Evans said, pouring a large mug of the steaming brew. "You'll get milk droplets on the tablecloth."

"Sorry," Lily mumbled absently, dropping the utensil into her bowl. Bored with the amount of carbohydrates and Vitamin C the morning meal contained, she looked up at her mother. "Any plans for today?"

Mrs. Evans shook her head. "No, well, not for you children anyway. Your father and I have a lunch date with important clients of his, so you'll be staying home with Petunia."

Lily made a slight face, causing her mother's lips to tweak a bit. "Oh it won't be bad- this will be a perfect time for you two girls to spend some quality time together."

Lily looked up at her mother. "Right. Would that quality time be before or after she slams the door in my face?"

"I'm sure she'll come around," Mrs. Evans said, taking a sip of her coffee. "In fact, I think the only reason she's acting this way is because she doesn't fully understand what's happened to you."

"I don't know..." Lily said skeptically.

"Just give it a shot, sweetie." Mrs. Evans stood up and sipped the last of the coffee. Leaning over she ruffled Lily's hair and gave her a soft peck on the head. "Tell her about everything. Then she can actually understand when you talk about Frogs Spawn and broomsticks."

Lily nodded. As appealing as the idea of threatening Petunia with charms that could turn her ears green was, she still preferred making up with her. It wasn't always this bad, she and her sister had gotten along marvelously... she really wasn't quite sure when or why Petunia had come to despise her. She had to admit the prospect of making up with her older sister excited her, as far fetched as the possibility seemed. Smiling into her now oat-less bowl of milk, she resolved to try her mother's suggested technique.

Regulus. Regulus, Regulus, Regulus.

This was _all_ Sirius had heard his entire summer break. Of course there were the several adjectives along with it, such as: wonderful, honorable, precious, obedient, perfect... oh, Sirius was beginning to feel a bit sick.

His parents seemed to have this strange idea that being kind and catering to his younger brother would surely earn him a spot in Slytherin. As if he had a choice. If he had, Sirius surely would have chosen...

What would he have chosen? At the time Sirius only wanted to be housed with James, and the horrifying thought of dining and sleeping with the frightening looking Slytherins was enough to wish for nothing but Gryffindor.

Yes, Sirius reassured himself. Of course he would've chosen Gryffindor. He despised his parents and their malicious ways, and would _never_ want to be involved with anything of their liking. Even if it meant his own flesh and blood shoving him aside like yesterday's rotted cabbage rolls, he would always remain defiant and go against their detestable values. He was going to go to James's in two weeks; he could definitely handle that much. He didn't need his family, anyway.

__

July 7, 1972

"... I found this when I went along with my mum to do the weekly shopping, and immediately thought of you. I figured it'd be perfect for... incidents, with Petunia; I find it relieving to write down things when I really need to rant, and thought you might too..."

Lily smiled as she picked up the small red book that had arrived with Julie's letter. Flipping through it, she noted the pages were completely blank; a startling white, ready and waiting for her quill. According to Julie this was to write any occasions Lily threatened Petunia with magic, as to add humor to a day she was feeling particularly gloomy. It was a very nice gesture, but the more Lily thought about it, the more positive she was that her sister would come around. She had a good feeling that after she talked with Petunia like her mother had suggested, she wouldn't need the book for those purposes.

'Oh well,' Lily thought, as she set the book upon her dresser and stood up to search for Petunia. 'Perhaps I could use it for Charms notes.'

__

1:22p.m., Sunday July 8

__

Told her I'd change her precious little tea set into rats. Should've seen her face.

Grace walked into Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor beside her aunt, the chilled air contrasting greatly with the warm August breeze outside. It had become a yearly tradition to come to Diagon Alley with her aunt; considering the rest of her adoptive family were muggles, it seemed most appropriate. She didn't mind, the fantastic stories her aunt told of when she attended Hogwarts could keep her entertained for hours.

"Hmm.." Grace muttered, glancing at the glass covered freezer. The variety of ice creams was much greater than any muggle store.

"You should try the green one," a voice suggested from behind her. Grace whirled around and was met with Sirius Black. Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew followed closely behind; they seemed to be involved in a discussion of some sort.

Grace squinted at Sirius and scanned him over, before smiling. "Yes, I was debating over that one or the blue swirly," she said, turning back to face the counter.

"Ah yes, green's definitely the best," Sirius said, stepping up beside her.

"Alright," Grace nodded. Glancing around the restaurant she saw it was packed; Florean Fortescue wouldn't get to her for a while. "So where's James?" She asked, curious as to where he'd lost his other half.

"Quality Quidditch Supplies," he answered. "We were browsing with him for awhile, but after several hours or so we got hungry." Sirius looked meaningfully down at the ice creams. "Besides, there's only so many times that I can hear the shop owner describe the latest edition broomstick, before I go completely berserk." Rolling his eyes, he recited, "Top of the notch, supreme cond-"

"-ition, smooth flying, superb breakage, and a 100% guarantee," Grace continued along with him. When Sirius looked at her surprised, she added, "I've already been there. Had to purchase a broom, actually."

"Really?" he asked. "Did you get-"

"No," she cut him off, "that broomstick's highly over-rated. I've got a Shooting Star."

"Oh," Sirius responded, nodding. Suddenly he grinned. "I like a girl who knows her broomsticks."

Grace raised a brow, but decided not to dignify that with a response.

It didn't matter anyhow, because just then Fortescue came up to them and asked for their orders. Grace replied without hesitating. "The blue swirly kind, please."

__

5:29 p.m., Saturday August 12

Oh bugger. Petunia brought annoying friends over today. The way she talked I knew she was making snide remarks about me. So I casually mentioned (whispered, of course. I'm not daft) how lovely she'd look as a toad. That shut her up.

Grace and the whole gang of Marauders- they had managed to drag James out of Quality Quidditch Supplies- strolled along the alley, not too far, of course, in accordance to Grace's aunt and the Potter's strict orders.

James and Sirius were lost in a rapid discussion of Quidditch, each defending their favorite teams, and each insulting the other.

Bored with the endless debate, Grace attempted conversation with Remus, but he didn't respond much before turning back to his discussion with Peter. She gave a small huff. It was rather boring and the lack of someone to talk to was beginning to grate on her nerves.

Staring straight ahead, she asked casually, "So have you been to Knockturn Alley recently?"

That got their attention.

"What?" Sirius asked, "Knockturn Alley? We're not allowed there."

Grace rolled her eyes. "And since when have you even thought twice about breaking the rules?"

"Never!" James shouted indignantly.

"Right," Sirius agreed, nodding rapidly. "And besides," he said quickly, (and to Grace, rather unconvincingly) "I never said we didn't _go_ there, I just remarked we weren't allowed."

Grace took a large bite of her ice cream and then gulped before responding. "Oh, so you've seen the huge pit of lava by Hurshei's Hut?"

"Wh- oh, yeah," Sirius grinned. "Quite a site, that one."

"Mmm-hmm. Oh, and what about the collection of troll heads by Barney's?"

"Oh yes. Yes, that's intriguing. Grotesque but, really very intriguing."

Drats, Lily was going to need a new quill. The extensive amount of entries she had written in the past several months was beginning to wear it down. The countless moments Petunia had acted snippy with her were all recorded; over the past several months she had filled dozens of pages. Julie was right; it did quite lighten her mood whenever she flipped through the pages and skimmed over the various false claims- and as humorous or meaningless the scribbled notes may seem, the little red book had become rather comforting to her.

Lately, though, she had stopped just writing down the threats, and had now begun to write any confrontations whatsoever. Even those seemed hilarious. She honestly wondered if Petunia could hear herself hissing freak about ten thousand times a day, would she realize how ridiculous she was being? Yes, it was actually quite funny.

But Lily really wished she would stop.

"And, let's see..." Grace's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh! The Wizard Quartet is rather amusing, isn't it?"

"Sure," Sirius nodded, as the five of them turned the corner.

"Oh, and the strange twinkling lights that stretch across the entire length of the alley is incredible, nothing quite like it, eh?"

"No," Sirius responded. "You haven't lived if you haven't seen the lights."

"Yeah," Grace nodded. "The caged Tigmonkeys, you know, the ones that can reach to about 70 meters? They're quite creepy."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, giving a shudder to further emphasize his response. "So, when did you last visit Knockturn Alley?"

Grace looked thoughtful for a moment, before turning to Sirius and smiling. "Never have."

A/N: Hello! So, I'm dying to rant about the HP movie, but as I don't want to take up too much space, I'll do in my bio. E-mail or IM me if you want to talk about it. Ok, please don't hate me, but I have exams mon-wed, and I haven't even cracked open a book. (lol, mostly cause I've been working on this monster) As a result, I simply will not be able to update right away, as I will probably be in a psychotic state. Darn, I could really use Lily's techniques right about now : p

Manny2003- : ) I'm really glad you like it, and you're reviews give me much inspiration to hurry up and update. Thanks!

hprincess- Do you feel special? You should, cause I wrote a whole chapter for you! Kind of.. well you know what I mean : ) Glad I took your advice, it was fun to write. I hope you liked it.

Kill Lily Get James- _Nice_ name!! Hehe, thanks for the review, I have come to terms that Petersgurl16 is insane, actually : ) Thanks, though, it made me feel really good... hey, you distinguished my flame!

kj-11913- Thanks a lot for the review, I love getting new reviewers! Hope you stay with me ; )

Suji- Yeah, I agree, I didn't much like last chapter either. Ah well, I needed to end second year somehow. Oh, about the HP candy, I'm not sure where it's from, cause my friend got it for me for my b-day : ) Thanks for the fantabulous review!

Mahora-san- Thanks, you're review was totally awesome too ; )

MidnightPrincess- Yup, they were mean to ol' Snapey, but you're right, not our problem ; ) Yeah, I think I'm only a little insane.. I think. I updated soon to make you happy, so review soon and make _me_ happy!

dreamlessnights- Yes, I think I would cry if the story was over too, cause I'd miss such wonderful reviewers such as thee! Wow, if my oh so faithful reviewers stick by me throughout this whole thing, I'll be sooo incredibly happy. You're doing great so far! lol, thanks for the review : )

Imperishable Stars- What? What!? WHAT!? Who what when where why... Sirius Black look-alike? Awesome! Send him my way : p Oh, you made me feel soo good (and relieved) when you mentioned my no magic over the holidays A/N, I'm really glad you liked/understood that. Thanks for the review!

Dulcis Caelum- Yeah, for some reason my POV thingies screwed up. Stupid computer.

Lanette- Oh good, I'm glad you might write a fic. Let's see.. what genre do you most enjoy? For me (this may seem odd, but hey) I often found myself daydreaming (in algebra, whoops) about what Lily and James may have lived like, and I think it's really intriguing. You should pick whatever interests you most because you are after all, writing an entire story behind it. Just make sure if you write a story that you have a beta, because even if you have a wonderful story line, if you miss simple things such as grammar and spelling, it could kill the fic. I'm always here if you need me!

IrishMaiden- Lol, thanks for the very enthusiastic reviews : D Love ya forever and ever

Nymphadora003- Oh thank goodness! I was worried people wouldn't get the whole intertwining part, I'm really glad you did : ) Humph. Four finals? I have six. Argh.

Aerandir- Yes!! I'm terribly happy you beat the system, congrats on that. Yes third year is here : ) Thanks for the review

Marauder Marion- Really? Thanks : ) I like your penname by the way.

FairyPrincess13- Hey, I checked out your story! Pretty awesome, James is an (you know what) but, it's good for the story. : ) Thanks for the review!

Izumi Princess of Darkness- hehe, yayness! Thanks bundles for the review : ) Oh, you just reviewed me again! goodie (I'm so glad you just reviewed 17, cause sometimes I'm not sure if people just stop after chapter 1)


	19. Stealth

Standing There By You

Ch. 19- Stealth

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

A/N: I'm soo sorry about the wait! I did say, however, that I couldn't work on it until Wednesday.. but nonetheless I am sorry. I was very busy studying for finals (not that it helped much, mind you) so I please ask for your forgiveness. First of all I have to thank Dulcis Caelum, thanks for the random questions! Alrities, here ya go...

One by one the first years walked up to the stool, followed by a loud shout of their destined house. The elder students watched with polite attentiveness, but the familiar routine had come to be rather boring.

Sirius groaned, looking longingly at the empty table. "When do you think the ceremony will be over?"

"I dunno," James responded, "but I hope they have-"

"Black, Regulus!"

James cut off as the familiar name was called. He craned his neck to have a better look at the raven-haired boy, before turning to look as Sirius curiously.

"Is he related?" asked James.

Sirius gave a short nod before muttering, "Brother."

"Oh great," Lily remarked sarcastically. "_Another_ Black."

James opened his mouth to ask more, but Sirius quickly began another conversation. "Did you hear about the new captain for Bismarck?" he asked, staring determinedly at James and away from the sorting.

"Er," James was, at first, a bit puzzled at Sirius's sudden change of topic. After a couple of seconds, though, he caught on that Sirius wanted to avoid the subject.

"Oh, yes, I have. Heard it was supposed to be Johann, but they gave it to Mosely."

As Sirius nodded, Lily rolled her eyes incredulously. "You're talking about Quidditch when your own _brother_ is being sorted!?"

"I really can't believe they did that," Sirius continued loudly, blatantly ignoring Lily. Demitri's a right old fool, if you ask me."

"Right," James nodded. "And what about-"

"I can't believe you," Lily scolded. "Aren't you even cur-"

"Slytherin!"

Lily's eyes widened and she nearly strained her neck when she whipped around to view the sorting. Seeing it was Regulus indeed that was sorted into Slytherin, she turned back to face Sirius.

The boy's face had flinched for a split second, but this act was barely noticeable as he returned to his conversation with James. He was obviously not surprised.

That evening, as the remainder of summer nights still lingered in the warm grounds, many students milled around, enjoying the last of the warm weather.

Peter yawned. The drowsy atmosphere left everyone feeling tired and bored- there wasn't much to do except stroll along the lake, or sit under a shaded tree.

James and Sirius- ones never to be bored for long- stopped when they reached the towering Whomping Willow.

"Hey, betcha can't touch the trunk," James challenged.

"Well I could get farther than you could," Sirius responded, accepting the dare. Boldly he held up his head and took several long strides toward the still tree.

Just as he reached within 3 meters, however, a branch whipped out from the side and smacked him across the shoulders.

"Argh!" Sirius cried, as he flew back to the same spot he had started. He hastily scrambled up and hurried to a safe distance away from the tree.

James laughed. "That was.. three steps in, eh Sirius?"

"Hey, I'd like to see you try," Sirius panted.

"Fine," he said. Remus feebly protested next to him, but James ignored him, stepping up to the willow. A few curious students began to gather around them, observing the scene with interest.

James darted up to the tree and ducked a few branches, before meeting the inevitable fate.

"Well I lasted longer than you," James informed his now laughing friend.

Students were beginning to catch on to the conquest, and different sorts of people had begun to test their own reflexes and speed. Most were met with a flailing arm of the Whomping Willow, but everyone scurried out of the way before anything... permanent happened.

Even Remus let loose and took a turn, and after much prodding, Peter did as well. The latter didn't go naught two steps before turning back, but the former got within a very reasonable distance.

"Let me try," a rather large fifth year called Davey Gudgeon pushed through the crowd. His fingers neared the trunk; it seemed he'd be the first to complete the task. His hand practically scraped the trunk, but his shout of triumph was barely heard before his was whisked away by an unexpected branch. The bellow of glory swiftly turned into a wail of terror as it swung him in the air, only visible as a blur.

Remus was very perplexed. The tree was flailing Davey mercilessly through the air, and he was torn between pressing the knot he had come familiar with, or hoping the tree would miraculously let him go. If he pressed the knot, people would wonder- they'd be very curious as to how he knew. If he let him go, who knew if-

"Mister Gudgeon!"

Everyone turned around to see Professor McGonagall approaching the group at a near run, one hand holding up her robes and the other holding out a wand. "_Congelo acer!_"

As soon as these words were shouted, the tree stopped and the wounded, horror struck fifth year fell to the ground with a thump.

"Never in my life," she exclaimed shrilly, hurrying through the path the crowd of students had cleared. She swiftly inspected the moaning boy, who appeared to be clutching his eye. Grasping his arm she lifted him onto his legs.

"Serves you right," she said, looking over his wounds. Upon seeing that he wasn't in any great harm, she turned to face the rest of the students. "You are all forbidden to go within ten meters of this tree, and anyone who disobeys will get two weeks detention!"

Trooping up to their dormitory, Lily, Grace and Julie found it to be- fortunately- empty. They had heard enough of Val and Angie's raves on the latest hairstyle to fulfill them for life, in fact Grace even mentioned once that she'd prefer one of Lily's studying rants- and this was saying a lot. While their... chipper dorm-mates were no where in sight, it was obvious they had only just left.

The odor of fresh coats of "Really Really Raspberry Red," was distinct, and many curlers and facial scrubs lay about. Grace shook her head in disgust as she stepped toward Angie's bed, (which was garnished with delicate pink laces and sheets, of course), and picked up a magazine that sat on top.

"What to wear, and what not to dare," she read aloud, looking slightly nauseated.

"You've got to be kidding me," Lily mumbled, perching onto her bed.

"Nope," Grace responded airily, as she flipped through the pages. "Oh, well _this_ looks interesting."

"Hmm?" Julie said, walking over to stand beside Grace. Stifling a laugh, she read over Grace's shoulder. "The _Ultimate_ Quiz," skimming the page, she added, "Oh look, it helps you discover things you never _ever_ knew about yourself."

Grace gave a brisk nod, looking determined and serious. "Right then. Let's do it, ladies."

Professor Fides frowned as he looked over the boys' eager faces. "Hello," he greeted, absently shifting stacks of papers aside. "What can I do for-"

"Well have you thought of anything?" James interrupted eagerly. " 'Cause we tried, but we couldn't come up with anything good."

Sirius opened his mouth to protest, but James cut him off. "Okay, Sirius had some ideas. And they were good, really Sirius, but well... so do you have any ideas Professor?"

Professor Fides chuckled a bit at this, before responding to James. "Well, I've looked through a numerous amount of books, and.."

"And?" James and Sirius chorused anxiously.

The professor raised a brow at the amusing pair, before his expression turned somber. "I'm afraid," he said slowly, "that there's absolutely nothing legal you could do."

The boys' shoulders sank at this news. "Alright," James muttered. "Thanks for trying."

Professor Fides nodded, as the crestfallen boys turned to depart.

"If you were a plant, which would you be and why?"

Lily looked at Grace blankly. "What a stupid-"

"Tarattengula," Julie put in quickly. "Precious on the outside, madly evil on the inside."

Grace laughed. "Good one!"

Lily peered at them incredulously. "You're actually doing th-"

"Next question!"

"This sucks," Sirius complained, as he ambled down the hall beside his friend. "What do we do now?"

James shrugged. "He wasn't very much help, was he? And I'd gotten my hopes up."

"I know," said Sirius. "Well we can probably use one of those ideas I thought up over the summer; I'm particularly fond of the spaceship-"

"I mean," James continued, ignoring Sirius, "that was pretty lame. What, all he told us was,"

"There's absolutely nothing legal you could do," Sirius mimicked.

James stopped walking abruptly. Sirius turned to see a slow smile growing on James's face. "Nothing legal?"

Sirius grinned, catching on.

"To the restricted section, my friend?"

James nodded. "Indeed."

Grace scanned the next question. Looking up at Lily, she read, "What's your battle cry out of the following?"

"My _batt_-"

"Arrrrrggggghhhhhhhhh!"

"This is so incredibly-"

"Waikikikikikwai!"

"I can't believe-"

"ROOOOAAAAARRRRRRRR!"

"Are you seriou-"

"IIIIIINNNNNNNNJJJJUUUUUNNNNSSSSSSSS!"

After several moments of silence, she asked, "Do you honestly expect me to answer that?" Julie and Grace only responded with expectant looks. "Fine," Lily said, giving a defeated sigh. "Roar."

Grace and Julie barely contained their laughter.

Lily gave a reluctant smile. "Well what kind of Gryffindor would I be if I hadn't of chose that one?"

"Well this presents a problem."

James and Sirius stood at the Library entrance, looking around at the lingering students and librarian.

"Maybe we should've brought the invisibility cloak," Sirius said, turning towards James.

James gave a frustrated sigh. "You think?"

"Hey, we don't need the cloak," said Sirius excitedly. "I mean, we _are_ the Marauders, after all."

"And what to you expect to do?" James asked wearily. "Fly over the bookshelf and dodge Madame Pince?"

"Well that's an idea," Sirius nodded. "But I was thinking more along the lines of using our cunning skills, actually."

"Our cunning skills?"

Sirius gave an affirmative nod, before taking a large stride toward some nearby book shelves. "Let's go, agent James."

"Agent James?" James mouthed silently, at Sirius's retreating figure. Sighing, he followed his friend.

"Okay, it says here this is the most important question," said Julie. "It determines your past, present, future, attitude on life, longevity, and opinions on debatable events."

"Finally a decent question," said Lily. "So what is it?"

Julie peered at the magazine. "What are you wearing?"

The three girls looked at one another wearily.

"Robes,"

"Robes,"

"Robes,"

"You are a panther," Sirius whispered, pressing his body close to the shelves as he shimmied along the aisle. "Fast and stealthy, cunning and brave."

"Sirius, are you-"

"Down, down, down!" Sirius hissed suddenly, ducking quickly and taking James with him.

Still holding the protesting James's head down, Sirius peered through a crack in the shelves. Releasing James, he whispered, "False alarm."

"Sirius!"

"Okay, now all we need to do is distract her," Sirius said, examining the distant figure of Madame Pince. "Oy, Tommy!"

A small be-freckled first year turned around quickly.

"C'mere," Sirius beckoned, motioning him to where they stood.

Thomas cautiously made his way over to Sirius. "Yes?"

"Okay Tommy," Sirius began.

"Er, it's Thomas," the boy corrected wearily.

"Huh?" Sirius looked over at him, before shaking his head. "Whatever you say Tommy. Now, we need you to do a favor for us."

The poor boy looked frightened out of his wits. "A f-favor?"

"Oh don't worry," said Sirius. "I'm sure the _most_ you could get is a week of detentions."

"Let's see," Lily started. "If your best friend was a hamburger, your mom was French fries, and your grandma was a coke which would you consume first and why?"

Lily and Julie looked at one another disgusted. "Well that's a little-"

"Hamburger, I think," Grace answered, still contemplating the situation. "Yes, definitely hamburger."

Lily and Julie took a tentative step back. "Oookay, then."

"Alright, this is the best part," said Grace, snatching the magazine from Lily. "The results."

"Lily," scanning the paper, she read, "you need to settle down. You're much too rebellious and need to start focusing on more important matters, such as school. You're wardrobe proves you to be a highly interesting person, and matches your personality perfectly. You will live to be 81."

Lily raised a brow. "The accuracy is uncanny."

"Now mine," Grace continued, ignoring Lily. "You are much too shy and reserved. You need to expand your horizons and be outgoing- fly free! You're wardrobe proves you are dull and-"

"We're wearing the exact same thing!" Lily exclaimed, grabbing the magazine from Grace. "This magazine is a bunch of rubbish. I can't believe _anybody _would ever waste their time reading it. You've got to be completely dense to actually follow through- let alone go by what is says. Whatever idiots actually believe this thing don't..."

Lily trailed off as Julie and Grace meekly pointed behind her. Whirling around, she came face to face with a fuming Angie and Val.

"Erm...," she started weakly. Looking down at the magazine, she tentatively held it out to Val. "Here's your magazine."

Twenty minutes, three toppled book-shelves, seven screams from Madame Pince and Thomas respectively, and 45 seconds of sprinting for their lives later, James and Sirius stood in their dormitory with as many books as they could carry surrounding them.

"See," Sirius panted. "Stealth, cunning..."

James shook his head. "Right."

"Well we got the books didn't we?" said Sirius, grabbing a text and plopping onto his bed. "Now let's see what we've got."

A/N: Kind of a crazy chapter, eh? The Davey Gudgeon part was mentioned in PoA Ch. 10, by Professor Lupin, just to letcha know. Oh, and I've started up a livejournal, go under my bio under homepage and you'll find it. If people start looking there I'll add info on updates and maybe tid bits from up-coming chapters. Okie doke, I'm out, sorry again for the long wait!

Congelo Acer- (Latin) Freeze Tree

Lanette- Thanks for the suggestions, sorry if it was hard to read. Good luck on your next story, be sure to tell me when you put it up!

Suji- Hehe, I've already talked to you bunches, so not really much to say : ) Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked it!

kj-11913- As always, review much appreciated! Thanks bundles : )

Eyes of Nevermore- hey, thanks for the fantabulous review! Your name seems familiar and it's bugging me... hm... oh well, thanks again, glad you liked the flamingos!!

Elven Dagger- Ok, I'm really really really glad you wrote that, because sometimes I worry that it is cliche. Thanks loads for the review, much appreciated : )

Nymphadora003- Lol, really glad you liked it : ) Thanks for the review, and good luck on your exams! (Well, you already took them by now, but... oh well)

FairyPrincess13- I already talked to you, but thanks again for reviewing!

MidnightPrincess- Yup, Sirius is an idiot- sometimes he has strokes of brilliance though. Very much agree with you on the movie, you should e-mail/ IM me sometime and we can talk about it : )

Luna Gypsy- Wow, thanks! I 100% love your reviews : ) I'm not going to do another chapter (just yet) on Petunia being freaked out, but perhaps later on in this novel of a fic!

ImperishableStars- Yes, I know how it is to push away studying/writing essays ::guilty smile:: but I only do it for wonderful people like you! It doesn't come out until the 10th?! Do you live in the States?

Dreamlessnights- Oh, goody, I love when people tell me quotes they like. Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks mucho for the review : ) Oh, and I'm really glad you're planning to stick with me, thanks, that means a lot.

Molly- Ooh a trip, sounds fun! And yes, my beta and I have added ourselves into the story : ) Try and guess who we are... I'm serious for Sirius, and beta brings her pink bikini down to her mother's beach house. (Not literally, of course) Thanks for the review! Good luck on your story, btw, and I haven't ever heard of Liar's Market, so I think you'll be alright.

hprincess- Have fun on your Spanish conquest thingie! Wow, thanks for letting me know; it's really sweet that you're making sure I know you didn't abandon me : ) Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked it!

Misty Cherry- Wow! Thanks for all of the awesome reviews : ) I'm really glad you liked it, and thanks for that whole site thingie! Aw.. you make me feel so special

Jess- I don't know.. _is _Sirius flirting with Grace? Thanks for the exam luckage.. hope it helped! hehe, thanks for the review : )

SuperHiperChit- Well, I already wrote you an e-mail, so not much else to say : ) I can't wait to beta your story, I'm sure it'll be magnificent!

Kita- Yay, B won : )

EW4eva- I'm glad you liked it : ) Thanks bundles and bundles for the review, smartyshorts! Pop rocks over soda, any day, any way.

Jay Lupin- Yup, I agree the movies were terrible. So did ya like the story?

Manny2003- Thanks for the reviews, good luck on your exams!

Aerandir- Glad you liked.. oh, sappy crappy ::tear::

Hermione1989- Cuaron is crazy! I'm glad Rowling at least stopped _some_ of the madness. Ok, about the broomstick.. let's just say James is a diehard Quidditch fan, and never goes anywhere without his broom, and some simple rules aren't going to stop him from smuggling it in. Thanks for all of the reviews!

Ninde Annare- Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you like it, and thanks for all of the advice : ) Yup, some people need to mellow out, don't they? They called her mellow yellow... what if they did keep the Pink Flamingos? Wouldn't that be interesting? Anybody reading these responses please check out THE SERPENT'S SHADOW or WHY DO YOU STARE because they're awesome and very un-appreciated.

Akire135- Wow, thanks! I'm glad you like it.. I adore your reviews, too!


	20. Third Year

Standing There By You

Ch. 20- Third Year

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

A/N: Whoops, thanks to Lanette for reminding me they're in third year.. I forgot to put that as last chapter's title so this one will have to do.

The Marauders walked down the boys' staircase to find a large group of people gathered around the Gryffindor notice board.

"What's going on?" James asked, weaving his way through the crowd.

"I don't know," Sirius responded, edging around the corner. "Oh, seems to be some sort of notice."

"Very observant," Remus commented from his spot on the stair-case. He wasn't much for crowds.

"Thank you," Sirius replied.

"Can you read it?" said James.

"Yes, let's see... oh, sign ups for the Sirius Black fan club, contact Val for meeting dates and times-"

"Not that one you dolt!"

"Hey, don't get snippy just because you don't have a sign-"

"Just read the notice!"

"Okay," Sirius mumbled, looking up after signing the lengthy piece of parchment. "There's quidditch try-outs Friday night, Hogsmeade next weekend..."

"Really?" James said, brightening at his last remark. "Next weekend already?"

Sirius nodded, making his way back out of the crowd and joining his three friends.

"I can't wait, you know, I hear they've got a joke shop..."

The next week seemed to drag by especially slowly, as anything does when you're anxious for something to arrive. Finally they made it through the week, and waited impatiently for their last class, Transfiguration, to end.

"Mister Pettigrew," Professor McGonagall called sharply, awakening the dozing boy. "Please read from passage seventy on page 269."

Peter hastily flipped through the book to find the specified section, and began counting the passages as to read from the correct one.

"They're marked, Pete," Sirius whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

Peter looked up from his count- he had already made it to twelve- and gave Sirius a grateful smile. "Oh, thanks."

"Er," he began, his voice squeaky with nervousness. "A spell for retaining transfigurations is as follows: A simple Kenya charm, and a small dose of the Linean Potion. The Linean Potion is made up of three parts lancing powder-"

"And that would be," Professor McGonagall interrupted.

"Uh," Peter squinted at the book to see if it held the answers. Unfortunately it did not, so he had to flip to the back of the book and spent a considerable amount of time looking for lancing powder. Once he found it and read aloud the definition, he continued with the Linean Potion.

"Two parts quenya-"

"And that would be," Professor McGonagall repeated.

The class gave a collective sigh as Peter hastily flipped to the back of the book.

Finally he came upon the last part of the Potion. "And five parts any sniveling substance-"

"And that would be,"

Peter let out a small whimper as he checked the index once more. "Erm...sniveling. Nasal drippings, the act of breathing through one's nose, whining, talking in a tearful manner, must or mold-"

"Quite enough," said Professor McGonagall. "We could've just done with the first definition, thank you."

Peter stopped quickly and breathed a sigh of relief upon completing the task. Professor McGonagall assigned a two foot parchment on the topic, before dismissing the class.

The Marauders made to head out, but the professor called James to her desk before he could depart. Sirius, Remus and Peter waited for him outside of the door, as the boy wearily made his way up to the teacher.

It turned out to only inform him about the Quidditch try-outs and times- apparently she hadn't discovered the Auxxi spell they had placed under her desk- so he was done rather quickly. Just as he turned to leave, however, Severus appeared behind him.

Professor McGonagall looked up from her desk. "Yes, Mister Snape?"

"I was just wondering what the make-up assignment for Tuesday was," he said, staring determinedly at Professor McGonagall. James, though, glared at him openly.

"Oh," she said, standing up and reaching for a large bin of folders. "I'll get that to you straight-away. Please hold on a moment Potter, Richen also asked me to inform you of the supplies he'd be needing."

James nodded, as the teacher walked off in search of the missing assignment. Turning to Severus, he moved aside one of his books.

Severus flinched automatically when he felt a book move- the incident last year had made him quite protective.

"Another book on the Dark Arts, no doubt," James said with disgust.

"None of your information," Severus replied coldly.

"You know what you could do with one of those books? Shove it-"

"Just because you're on the Quidditch team doesn't make you all high and mighty," Severus interrupted quickly; his words were rushed as if he'd been storing them for some time.

"What?" James asked, not expecting that at all. Regaining his pose, he exclaimed, "I do not act high and mighty!"

"Right," Severus muttered, looking away from James.

"I can't help it if you're jealous," James fumed. "Get a life.. Snivellus."

Severus made a slight move of surprise at the name, but still stared down at McGonagall's desk. James turned to leave; he'd get the supplies some other time.

"Oh, what a wonderful day!" Sirius declared, parading into the common room. He looked tired and muddy, but grinning nonetheless.

Remus laughed. "Should I assume you made the team, then?"

"Go right ahead," said Sirius, sitting down next to Remus and Peter. "There was barely any competition at all. James told me Richen's already said I got the spot."

Peter smiled. "Good job!"

"Thanks Pete," Sirius leaned back and put a muddy foot up on the desk. Remus cringed at the disgusting sight.

"Is James still out on the Pitch?" Remus asked, tearing his eyes away from the horrid mess Sirius was creating.

"Yeah," said Sirius, "chaser try-outs followed beater."

"Oh," said Remus. "Did anyone look good?"

"Not sure," Sirius shrugged. "We left just as they were arriving."

Remus nodded, and went back to the book he had been studying. He read for a while, and after several minutes he looked back up at Sirius.

What he saw nearly frightened him to death.

"Are you _reading_?" he asked Sirius incredulously.

"Wha-huh?" Sirius looked up from the gigantic book he had been skimming. "Oh, yeah. What's the big deal about that?"

Remus narrowed his eyes. "You never read."

"I do to!" Sirius said indignantly. "Right Peter?"

Peter looked a bit shaken at being addressed; he was used to just watching the arguments. "Oh, er- no."

Sirius shot him a pointed look.

"Oh, er- yes."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Why in the world-"

"Do either of you know when the try-outs let out?"

Sirius and Remus looked up to see Julie hovering above them expectantly.

"Should be over any minute," said Sirius. "James said there weren't that many applicants."

"Oh," Julie nodded. She mumbled a "thanks," before turning to walk away.

"Why do you want to know?" Sirius asked curiously.

Julie stopped walking and turned around to face him. "Grace is trying out."

"She is?" said Remus.

"Is she really?" Sirius asked incredulously, standing up to walk by Julie. "Grace is trying out for the team?"

"Mmm-hmm," Julie nodded.

"Is she any good?" said Sirius.

Julie shrugged. "I think so. I've never actually seen her play."

"Oh," Sirius nodded. "I-"

Sirius cut off as someone slammed open the Portrait noisily.

Four heads turned to see Grace enter the common room. Grinning, she spread out her arms dramatically. "Oh what a wonderful day!"

A/N: Sorry about the short chapter, next one's Hogsmeade.

Just to letcha know, that's the Latin def. for Snivelling ; )

FairyPrincess13: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it, that part was fun to write : )

FreckledIrishMaiden- lol, yes I _do_ like the name! We should celebrate end of exams- Sirius style. I'll bring the fluff if you bring the streamers!

EW4eva- Wow, super long review! Thanks mucho.. you re-read the entire thing? Nifty : ) Thanks for the review!

Luna Gypsy- Yay, I'll join you in your Happy Dance!! Thanks for the incredibly wonderful review : )

SuperHiperChit- Glad you liked it! I'm sure your fic does _not_ suck, are you almost ready to post it? Thanks for the review!

Jess- Are they going to pull any pranks of their own? Not planned, but intrigueing idea! lol, thanks for the review!

Manny2003- Hope your exams went well, thanks for the review!!

MidnightPrincess- Yes, sadly, there are real quizzes like that out there- that's okay, gives me something to make fun of! Glad you liked it, thanks for the review!

Aerandir- Yeah, chaos! Thanks mucho for the review, you know I luv em!

dreamlessnights- Ah, I am happy you had many favorite parts : ) Thanks for reviewing!

Samwise Gamgee 1973- Yes, punctuation!! hehe, thanks for the review : )

Lanette- Yup, they're in third year, I'm glad you like the willow part. Thanks for reviewing!!

Hermione1989- Yeah, some people I'm sure have memorized the books, but I just put that in there for those who haven't. Thanks for the review!

Molly- Wow, long review! Sorry I haven't checked out your story yet, I promise I will as soon as I get a chance. I barely got this sucker out. Oh and, I don't know... _is_ Sirius flirting with Grace? Tee hee.

Misty Cherry- No, I will not forgive you for reviewing late. Just kidding!! Thanks mucho for the long review, I'm glad you like it!

ImperishableStars- Tell me about it. The thing that irks me the most is that JKR was sitting right besides the director approving it all. Ugh. Well, thanks for the review, you should e-mail/IM me sometime so we could talk about the catastrophe...oh er, I mean movie.

hprincess- Wow! That was such a nice review! Thanks, that made my day : ) You reviewed too late to have the stuff you suggested in this chapter, but maybe in a few!


	21. Hogsmeade

Standing There By You

Ch. 21- Hogsmeade

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

A/N: My beta is very angry at each and every reviewer. Her shoulder is sopping wet. As a result of my sobbing endlessly from your WONDERFUL REVIEWS! Oh my! Did you guys all get together and plan an incredible review day or something? ::sigh:: But honestly, it's reviews like those that keep me writing. Thanks to my fantastic fellow HP fanatics.. I love you all!

Dozens of delectable products lined the walls as far as the eye could see.

Towering shelves glowed with the concealed entities, just begging to be released.

A faint echoing of angel's voices seemed to carry throughout the venue, as "Hallelujah" rang majestically in the background.

Four jaws hung slack as they stared in astonishment, each boy filled to the brim with a striking sense of utter amazement.

"James," Sirius called weakly, not able to tear his eyes away from the incredible store dubbed Zonkos.

"Yeah?" said James in a distant voice, still in disbelief at the overwhelming sight before him.

"I think I'm going to faint,"

A thump signified Sirius had fallen to the ground. James joined him moments later.

"How can I help you?"

Lily and Julie looked up to see a pretty girl no older than eighteen with curly blonde hair wrapped in a bun, and friendly blue eyes staring down at them.

"Oh, yes," said Lily. She looked over at Julie. "Er.. what do you guys-"

"Oh sorry, I forgot you're Muggle-born," said Julie. She looked up at the waitress. "We'll have two butterbeers, please."

The young girl nodded, and was off with a whirl.

"Oh look at them," said Lily, looking over at the entrance as the Marauders walked in. Each boy had at least three over-flowing bags, and it was clear the supplies were all purchased from Zonkos. Dungbombs and Filibuster fireworks spilled out of the tops, along with a numerous amount of pranking supplies Lily didn't recognize. Sighing disapprovingly, she turned back to Julie. "They're so immature. Honestly, we're 13 for Heaven's sakes."

Just then, the waitress arrived with their drinks, handing each girl a mug filled with the warm substance.

"What, you didn't order one for me?"

Lily and Julie turned around to the source of the voice, and were met with a smiling Grace. "Scoot over," she said, signaling for Julie to move her chair to the right a bit. "I need some place to put my bags. Have you guys been to Zonkos yet? It's excellent!"

"Well I've got ten galleons yet," said James, staring down at his shrinking pile of money. "Just enough for a butterbeer, and plenty enough for one more stop at Zonkos."

Sirius looked down at his own bag, then back up at James. "You're treating."

"How can I help you boys?"

Four heads swiveled up to see the smiling waitress.

After a few moments of goggling silence, Sirius spoke up in the most suave voice he could muster. "And who might you be?"

The girl gave a half grin. "Rosmerta."

"Ah, Rosmerta," Sirius grinned, "simply spiffing to meet you."

"Indeed," James said, eyebrows raised. "So Rosmerta, do you live around here?"

The girl cocked her head a bit, amused at the two boys. "Sure do. In a cozy little house two towns over."

"Ah," Sirius nodded. "Well that's good. You know what they say,"

"One's home is their castle," said James.

Sirius tilted his head. "In a manor of speaking."

Rosmerta laughed, as James and Sirius continued on. "So, you like Quidditch Rosmerta?" James asked.

"Wouldn't be a true witch if I didn't."

It was at that moment James acquired his first true love.

"That's great," Sirius said happily. "And pranks, do you like those?"

"Sure do," Rosmerta said, grinning as she adjusted her apron. "We could all use with a little laugh once in awhile, eh?"

It was at that moment Sirius acquired his first true love.

Rosmerta left to fill a large order of Firewhiskeys to a rowdy table of middle-aged men. James and Sirius watched her go, dreamy smiles across their faces.

"You two are pathetic," Remus commented, taking a large sip of his butterbeer.

"Pathetic and proud," James said, holding up his mug.

Sirius followed suit, lifting his tankard as well. "Pathetic and proud indeed my friend, pathetic and proud indeed."

The two clinked classes and took large gulps of the gratifying drinks.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Well we've got some time left, what else do you guys want to do?

"We could just look around a bit," James suggested, as he dug through his money bag.

"Sure," Sirius said, just as Rosmerta arrived to collect their bill. "Here you go, Rosie. A little tip for you."

He winked and handed Rosmerta a handful of sickles. She smiled and thanked him, tucking the money into her apron pocket. Just then a nearby table called in need of her assistance.

"Hey James," Sirius whispered, standing up. "I'll let you handle this. I'm all spent."

James gave him an exasperated look before reaching for more money and placing it on the table. "All ready then?"

"Yeah," said Remus. "But what are we going to do with all of these bags?"

The four boys looked over at their over-flowing pile of Zonko bags, frowning.

Suddenly Sirius smiled. "I'll handle this." Crouching down he scooped up all of the bags, staggering a bit under the weight as he stood back up. "Oy, Rosmerta," he called, trying to look as if the strain of the supplies was barely affecting him.

Rosmerta looked back over at them. "Yes?"

"Mind if we store these here awhile?" Sirius asked, adjusting the bags as they relentlessly slipped from his hold.

"Oh sure, sure," she said, showing him to a spot behind the counter. "Just keep them there for now."

"Okay," said Sirius, as he took large heavy steps towards the counter. "It's.. not... as.. if.. I.. can't.. handle.. them..." he set the bags down with a thump and took a deep breath. "After all," he continued, looking over at Rosmerta and smiling. "Quidditch has done _wonders_ for my build-"

"Come _on_," Remus said, dragging Sirius out of the pub.

"Bye Rosmerta!" James called, sending her one last cheeky grin and a wave.

"Yeah," said Sirius, struggling against Remus's grasp. "We'll see you- urgh!"

Sirius cut off as Remus shoved him out the door and shut it firmly behind him.

"Aw gee, Remus," Sirius said, puffing out his lower lip. "You always have to ruin all the fun."

"What do you guys want to do now?" Peter asked, as the four boys set off down the dirt path.

James shrugged. "I don't know. We could..."

James trailed off as a bedraggled house came into view. Turning to Remus, he asked, "Is that the Shrieking Shack?"

Remus's expression darkened considerably at the mention of this dwelling, but he nodded nonetheless. "Yeah."

"Really?" said Sirius excitedly. "Let's check it out!"

"What?" asked Remus, turned to Sirius quickly. "No, no I don't think-"

"Yeah, let's do it!" James said, as he and the other two quickened their paces toward the worn down house.

Remus's pace remained consistent and slow, however, as he watched after his friends.

"Okay, how do we get in this place?" Sirius asked, standing on his toes and looking to the side in search of an entrance.

"I don't know..." Remus said hesitantly. "Hey, c'mon, I think we missed an aisle in Zonk-"

"Oh please," James interrupted. "Don't you wanna show us where you hang out once a month?"

"Shh!" Remus hissed, stepping up quickly beside them. Wearing a torn expression as he decided what to do, he finally gave in. "Okay, okay, fine." Taking an unwilling step to the side of the house, he said, "Follow me."

"Who makes these anyway?" Lily asked, making a disgusted face. "I mean, blood and acid lollipops?"

"I know," Grace said happily. "Aren't they great?"

Lily rolled her eyes, tossing the candy back into her bag. "Sure. So where do you guys want to go now? It's nearly time to go back, I'd assume."

"Oh we have plenty of time," said Grace. "C'mon, I hear they have an excellent quill shop."

"Oh really," Lily perked up. Checking her watch, she added, "Oh well, we'll have to stop there next time. We really should be going."

"Oh look," Julie said suddenly.

"What?" Lily and Grace said together, pausing and backtracking towards Julie.

"That necklace, isn't it-"

"Julie, we can look at the jewelry _next_ time," Lily said, looking pointedly at her watch. "We've got to get back to Hogwarts."

"We've still got twenty-five minutes!" said Julie.

"We might get lost."

"How? Everyone's going the same direction."

"Not everyone."

"_Most_ everyone."

"But-"

"Oh fine," Julie said, reluctantly tearing her eyes away from the glass case. "Let's go then."

"Thank you," Lily smiled as they trooped back towards the school.

"You're such a goodie-goodie," Julie mumbled.

"What?"

"Oh, I said... Goodie! Now we can go back and do our Potions essay!"

"Okay, this is the house," said Remus quickly. "Nothing too exciting, c'mon, let's-"

"We've barely even gone inside," said Sirius, stepping into a narrow hallway. It was dank and unwelcoming- the perfect atmosphere to explore.

"Well it's not-"

"What's this room?" James asked, pushing open a decrepit door. He and Sirius boldly stepped in, taking in the new surroundings.

They paused mid-stride, however, as they glanced around at the broken and torn up furniture.

"Is this where you..." James started uncertainly, peering over at Remus.

"It's where I stay, yeah," Remus said, crossing his arms uncomfortably.

"All of this," Sirius's eyes remained glued to a particular couch with a large scratch down the middle, "it's from..."

Remus nodded, and Sirius turned and looked over at him, as if he was only just seeing him for the first time.

"Oh we're late," Peter suddenly squeaked, breaking the silence.

"Well let's go then," said Remus, heading out the door. "We don't want to see Filch's bad side.. again.. right?"

Sirius stared after him a while before following his lead. "Right then. Let's go."

At precisely 5:00, the Marauders joined the rest of the students as they trooped back into Hogwarts.

The Headmaster chuckled merrily as he watched the four boys arrive with the copious bags from Zonkos. "Did you perhaps purchase the Perishable Pillows?" he called to them, as they filed past. "I highly recommend those."

"Not this time," James called back. "Don't worry, we'll get 'em next trip!"

Professor Dumbledore smiled in response, but the person standing beside him wore the exact opposite expression.

" 'Ello Argus!" Sirius smiled cheekily, and all four boys waved at the brooding man.

He looked quite close to tears, as he watched all of the pranking supplies parading past him. "Albus," he said desperately. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Dumbledore turned toward him. "What? Oh, of course." Raising his voice, he said, "But stay clear of the Fake Wands. They're not worth a sickle." Then he added thoughtfully, "I do believe it's high time somebody invents a realistic one..."

A/N: Okie doke, before I thank my incredibly wonderful reviewers, I would like to note that a very large amount of reviewers have asked to be a part of the Sirius Black Fan Club... so I say, why not? Wanna join? Tell me so in your review. Meeting dates and times are still negotiable.

silverpheonix2- Yes you do have a way with words.. cause I (tried to) update soon! Thanks mucho, I read your story.. awesomeness ; )

Jess- Would they? hehe. Thanks for the review.. and as for keep writing.. I think I shall! : )

Amy Lampion- Wow. That was probably one of the best reviews I've _ever_ gotten, and I thank you endlessly. You made me very very happy.. thanks!

Luna Gypsy- Ah, each update you never fail to leave me an incredible review.. thanks sooo much!

magiclover53- Yup, Sirius rocks! lol, thanks for the wonderful review, it made me feel muy special. Glad you enjoyed it ; )

MilesFromNormal- Yay, I'm very happy that you found it humorous.. sometimes when I write it, it seems funny, but then after I re-read it about a dozen times, I'm like.. how lame. ; ) Thanks! Oh, and I'm sure your story is very awesome, is MilesFromNormal your pen name? I'd like to check it out.

Kari- Thanks! I'm glad you like it, I hurried just for you ; )

Misty Cherry- Oh, glad you like the summary! I'm glad you like the notice board.. hehe. Thanks for the review : )

Hprincess- Thanks for the review! Yupyup, I'll add that in sometime within the next couple of chapters, thanks for the idea by the way!

RavenSiriusBlack- IS BACK!! Ha ha! Woo.. I was about to send out a search party. Honestly I was. Oh, and Val is not affronted. She knows that you have absolutely no chance ; p Oh, and of _course_ I haven't forgotten you!

P.S.- It's Lily, not Lilly : )

Molly- Yes, I do like that question. Grey eyes? That sucks. I mean, c'mon. Who has grey eyes? In my mind they're still a dazzling blue ; ) Thanks mucho for the review! Oh, and before I forget... _Is_ Sirius flirting with Grace?

EW4eva- lol, yes, I like long reviews.. thanks bunches : )

MidnightPrincess- You guessed right ; ) Thanks for the review.

loadsofwaffle- Yes, I miss her dearly. Let's go swimming!

Hermione1989- Lol, thanks for the review! Yes, hurry up with _your_ story please! Hm. I just realized I haven't written you back yet...

Dulcis Caelum- They're on their way.

Aerandir- Um.. thanks for the Geology lesson! I didn't know that was a country in Africa. Sorry Africa!

dreamlessnights- The next J.K.Rowling? Oh you're much too kind, m'dear! I thank you endlessly : )

Raziel- Don't fret, romance is just around the corner. It's just, I can't start up any romances too early, otherwise there wouldn't be anything left for the later years, right? I promise wholeheartedly that there will soon be sparks and fluff a flying, so no worries : )

FAIRYPRINCESS13- Hey, I'm glad you liked the Snivellus part, thanks for the review!

Midnightawoke2- Erm.. I was a bit confused at your review, but I think it's good, so I'll take it as a compliment ; ) Thanks!

coolkitten2888- Wow, thanks! That was a really awesome review, I really appreciate it : )

Tired of spending hours trying to wake up your friends every morning? Try Perishable Pillows- sure to scare even the soundest sleepers out of the subconscious.


	22. We Were Young

Standing There By You

Ch. 22- We Were Young

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

A/N: Sirius Black Fan Club is officially underway ; ) Yes, I have actual made one (no life, it's sad), so if you'd still like to be a part and your review was anonymous, your e-mail address would be most desirable.

I'm going to thank all of my wonderful reviewers right now, because I hurried to post this chapter and didn't have time to respond to you indivdually. Thank You!!!

Also, this chapter is longer than I intended it to be.. I already had this written and was going to wait to put it up until later, but I really want to get to the more prominent years. If anybody has any questions on this chapter, please feel to e-mail me at elenya2aol.com. Okay, thanks for listening, hope you enjoy.

From the moment they arrived back at Hogwarts, Sirius remained pent up in the small library he and James had gathered in their dormitory.

Seeing Remus's monthly domain had somehow put everything in a different perspective. Before he was under the impression that werewolves were sort of... cool; they had an amazing amount of strength and well, anything troublesome was quite interesting to Sirius. Though, seeing all of the broken furniture and torturous scratch marks had made it suddenly seem real.

Remus had to sort something out with Madame Pomfrey, so Sirius, James, and Peter were gathered around the Gryffindor fireplace, leafing through the books they had retrieved from the Restricted Section.

"Well, we're not going to get anywhere if we don't know what we're looking for," Sirius said finally, after unsuccessfully skimming an entire book.

"You're right," said James, book-marking his spot and setting down his own book. He asked the next part wearily. "Any ideas?"

Sirius frowned. "Well-"

"What are you doing?" A voice asked suddenly.

Lily Evans stood before the three boys, who rather curiously were surrounded by the unfamiliar setting of books.

"Yeah, what _are_ you doing?" Remus asked curiously, having just entered the common room behind her.

"Er, we're..." Sirius looked over at James, who looked just as stumped as he. "Well we're studying, of course."

"Right," Lily said, reaching down to pick up a book. With a start, James recognized the back cover as a werewolf biography they had selected for some background information.

"Don't touch that!" He shouted, throwing a nearby book over the other to keep it's identity unrevealed.

Lily withdrew her hand quickly before the flying book came in contact with it. "Potter!" She yelled. "You almost hit me!"

"Well it's none of your business Evans," he replied coolly. "And if you must know, I was protecting you."

Lily shot him a highly skeptical look. "Protecting me?"

"Yes," said James. "That book is highly dangerous when it come in contact with-"

"_Animagus?!_," she said suddenly, her eyes wandering to the other books that were strewn about. "You're looking at books on _Animagus_? That's incredibly illegal, and very dang-"

"Relax Evans," James interrupted the rambling girl. "We must've picked that one up by accident. See, all of the others are on boring stuff like figs and canon leaves."

Sirius looked over at him curiously. He didn't remember books on leaves. Looking over at James he saw the titles seemed a bit unmatched; James must've transfigured them at the last minute.

"Yes, figs. Very interesting, they are," said Sirius, looking over at James and winking.

Lily sighed. "Ok then. I'm not even going to ask." With that she turned around, and left the boys to their 'studying'.

"Right," Remus said, once they had left. "So what _are_ you doing?"

"Hey James," Sirius said, ignoring Remus and picking up the book on Animagus. "Maybe this isn't such a bad idea."

"You think?" James asked, peering over at the book. Suddenly his eyes widened. "You're right, that way,"

"Yeah," Sirius nodded.

"And then we could,"

"Exactly," said Sirius.

"Er... Right!" Peter said triumphantly.

"What are you getting at?" Remus asked exasperatedly.

"Nothing," James and Sirius said together.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sirius added.

"Come off it," said Remus, sitting down besides Sirius. "What are all the books for?"

James and Sirius looked at one another wearily, before peering around to see if anyone was within earshot. Seeing nobody was, James said, "We're going to become Animagus, Remus."

"What?!" Remus shouted, standing up abruptly. "Are you kidding? That's the worst idea I've ever heard, you _can't_ do that, do you know how much trouble you would get in if-"

"We have to, Remus," said Sirius. "It's not even a matter of 'if', now it's more a matter of 'when'."

"What?" said Remus. "Why in the world would you _need_ to? That's the stupidest-"

"Well what kind of friends would we be if we didn't?" Sirius cut in suddenly.

"What?" Remus asked again, this time taken aback.

"We're doing it for you," said James. "We can't just let you stay out there all by yourself. And if you have to go through all of that..."

"Then at least we can go through it with you," Sirius finished. Then he added firmly, "And we're going to. No matter how much trouble we could get in, or how much you protest."

"Oh," Remus responded weakly. "Well, thanks."

"Sure thing," Sirius nodded. "Now let's get started."

"Right," James said, flipping open the large book. "Okay, er.. looks a bit complicated."

He showed the others the page full of instructions, ingredients and pictures. Sirius shrugged. "We can do it. Go on, read the first thing we've got to do."

"Okay." James found the beginning and read aloud, "Being an animagus involves many dangers if performed improperly... could be lethal... blah blah blah... ah, here we go. Well, we'll need a potion, to start out. Here's a list of ingredients-"

"Why do we need a potion?" Peter interrupted. "I thought it only consisted of muttering a spell."

"It does in the end," said James. "But first you need a potion, as to avoid Deversor."

"Deversor?" asked Sirius. "What's that?"

"Hm... let's see, oh, it's acquiring the process of adflictatio."

"Adflictatio?" Remus repeated. "That doesn't sound pleasant."

"It's not," James said, grimacing. "It means getting lodged between the animal and human form. Says here you can remain there for up to two hundred years, and that's where the potion comes in. It's for beginners- if you screw it up, the potion, if concocted correctly, should prevent that."

"Er.. right," Sirius began slowly. "Well, we'll concoct it correctly then, eh?"

James nodded, and continued skimming the pages. "But using the potion also means we won't transform. A successful attempt will be recognized by a strong violet light instead of the animal form, but once we've achieved the light we can move on to just using wands, and eventually no wands at all."

Looking back up at his friends, he said, "Well this should be pretty simple. Nothing the Marauders can't do, right?"

His three friends grinned back. "Right."

Lily, Grace and Julie walked towards their last class of the day, thoroughly tired after a particularly difficult Potions test.

"Sure, Grace, but if the form-" Lily stopped in mid-sentence to stare at the enchanting sight before her. The three friends had been just about to walk into their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, but the extreme difference in its appearance had caused them to stop. The desks were sorted into five different groups, the walls were completely blank, and the floor was a startling gold. But these were not what made the room so incredible. Falling from the ceiling were snowflakes, but unlike the ones you see outside, these seemed to be magnified at least twenty times, and twirled gracefully until they met the ground. Once one would touch the gold floor, the snowflake spun around even faster, until it completely dissapeared, leaving no trace behind.

"Whoa," Grace whispered in awe. Other students started gathering behind them, craning their necks so they could have a good look at the room.

"Welcome," Came Professor Fide's voice from a far corner. The students had been too busy staring at the new environment to notice he was watching them. "Please, come in and stand in the middle of the room." Seeing the children's hesitant faces, he added, "Don't worry, it's safe. Nothing harmful or permanent will happen to you."

Slowly and silently the students entered the room. Nothing immediate happened, but a few seconds into it Lily noticed a faint green tint forming around Julie. Turning towards Grace, she saw her friend also had some color surrounding her, but unlike Julie's, her's was orange. Examining her own hand, Lily saw blue whisps of light floating around it. As each snowflake hit her, she felt an odd tingling, and then the blue light would deepen.

"Nix Nivis. Very advanced magic, and helpful indeed for me to arrange you for the tasks that are to come. If you will observe, different colors are forming around you, each student's being either blue, green, orange, red or yellow. If you will each sit by the appropriate desks," he took out his wand and swirled it around, turning each group of desks a color corresponding to the students, "then I will explain all further details."

Lily, Grace, and Julie gave each other a quick smile before eagerly heading off to their designated desks. Lily found the blue ones in the right corner, and saw Kirk Douglas, Sarah Findley, and Sirius Black already sitting there. Choosing the only empty blue desk, she sat down and waited for the professor to explain.

Once all of the students were seated, Professor Fides waved his wand, and muttered something under his breath. In an instant the snowflakes were gone, and the colors surrounding the students dissapeared.

"The snowflakes have divided you into groups, each one consisting of many different qualities," he started. "Look around, and you will see your partners for the rest of the year, and ultimatly for the exam."

Lily sighed as Sirius Black looked over at her and gave an exuberant wave.

"Each group will be considered a team, and you will work on the upcoming challenges together," Professor Fides continued. "Some very unusual things are about to happen at Hogwarts, and you will be responsible for them. No one will know the challenges ahead of time, for it could happen in the Great Hall during breakfast, or in the middle of a Herbology test. What are these strange occurences, you ask? Well that you will find out in due time. For the next several months of school, you must always be on the lookout, and if you see anything strange happening, investigate. If the area surrounding, or any part of the out of the ordinary event glows a color, you know that is one of the challenges."

Seeing slightly confused faces staring back at him, he continued, "Let me give you an example. You are walking around the lake and suddenly you see a pile of lipits heading towards the school, leaving an orange trail. You will know this is one of the orange team's challenges, and the team will gather together to rid of the nasty invaders. I will be watching close by to see how well you do, if you work as a team, and if you succeed. Also, if there is any danger or you're in trouble, I will end the challenge immediatly, but I'm afraid you will not get very high marks if it comes to this.

"All of the events I'm sure you can handle, because I have either taught you about it, or will be teaching it to you. The rest of your classes will go on as usual; I will keep showing you new material that you will need for new challenges, and for your exam. I have full confidence in all of you," he looked around the room, smiling, "and I'm sure you will all perform marvelously. Are there any questions?"

Nobody spoke or raised a hand, so he continued on. "Alright then, please take out your books, and you can have the rest of the class time to work on your Narlingston Essays." Interested chatter floated around the room, as the students all pulled out their books and parchments.

Lily looked around at her team. Sarah Findley and Kirk Douglas were both Ravenclaws, and would probably work hard, but Sirius...

"Well this is going to be fun!" Sirius grinned.

Lily gave a weak smile. "Uh-huh. You just better not screw it up."

"Why would you say such a thing, Lilykins?" Sirius pouted.

"I wonder..." Lily took out a book and began to leaf through it, looking for her current page.

"Why aren't you working on your essay?" came James's voice, from the red group behind her.

"Already finished it," Lily replied, not looking up from her book.

"You're such an over-achiever," James replied, shaking his head. "So, if you're done.. why are you reading?"

Lily gave an exasperated sigh. "People read for fun you know, Potter. Not just because they have to."

Sirius and James looked at eachother with wide eyes. "Really?" Sirius asked in a hushed voice. "No, it can't be true."

Lily heaved an impatient sigh, and set down her book with a slam. It was clear she wasn't going to get any reading done.

"Well let's have a gander," Sirius said, picking up Lily's book. "Hm.. The Magic-"

"Sirius!" Lily exclaimed, grabbing it from him hastily. "That's personal property, you shouldn't even-"

"Within?" James said, staring at Lily incredulously. "The Magic Within?" He shook his head. "You are truly odd, Evans. Creepy sort of infactuation you have there; I do believe you should consider help. You know, I've heard of a very nice little place complete with padded wa-"

"Oh shove it," Lily said angrily, twisting around to face the opposite direction. Scooping up her things she grabbed her bag and headed towards her friends.

Sirius shook his head disapprovingly. "She needs to work on that temper problem."

"Okay, we've already got Rentugunous brew and Suctouse draught, what else do we need?" Sirius asked, as he and Peter rummaged through Professor Fluent's copious amount of bottles and vials.

"Feiving and Meinae shavings," James responded, referring to the Animagus book before him.

The Marauders had snuck into Professor Fluent's classroom, in search of the ingredients the Animagus potion called for.

While Sirius hunted for the required ingredients, James hopped up onto a desk and sat beside Remus. "So, where do you go during the Holidays? I mean, you can't come all the way back to the Shrieking Shack."

"Well," Remus started, looking at the indistinct form of his friend. It was quite late at night and the room was pitch black, making it a bit difficult to see one another. "My dad built a sort-of shed like building in our backyard. It's locked and made of a strong metal, so I can't escape."

James nodded, just as a bottle was heard tipping over with a light _clunk_, along with a string of curses from Sirius. The two friends laughed quietly, as Sirius muttered angrily and fixed the fallen vials. After a couple moments James asked, "How long have you been a werewolf, anyway?"

__

Boom

At first James and Remus thought Sirius had dropped yet another draught. They began to laugh again, until Sirius asked in a quiet voice, "What was that?"

The two stopped laughing immediately. James quickly got out his wand and muttered, "_Lumos._"

The beam of light emitted from James's wand radiated across the room, revealing a panic-stricken girl. They recognized her as Antoinette Lamar, a Ravenclaw in the year below them.

Beside him James felt Remus freeze; no one spoke for a very long couple of seconds. Finally James began, "Er- Antoinette, did you hear-"

Suddenly the girl jolted out of her shocked state, coming back to life. "W-werewolf," she whispered, her voice quivering.

Remus cautiously stood up, taking a tentative step towards Antoinette. "L-listen," he began, his voice just as terrified as hers. "I'm not-"

"Get away from me!" She cried, backing up. She gave a quick glance at the door across the room, as if debating her best escape route.

"Now wait just a moment," said Sirius, stepping towards the horrified girl. "There's noth-"

Suddenly, Antoinette bolted from the room, knocking over flasks and beakers in her haste. James and Sirius followed quickly, sprinting after her. They easily caught up with her; James swerved in front and Sirius cornered her from behind.

Seeing she was trapped, Antoinette opened her mouth to scream, but James quickly clapped a hand over her lips to silence her. "Listen," James started, as the girl squirmed underneath his and Sirius's grasps. "Please, he's harmless. You have to believe us, and... you can't tell anyone, alright?"

Antionette stared at him, her eyes still filled with terror. "What now?" James muttered to Sirius with a questioning glance.

"Let's take her to Dumbledore," Sirius suggested. "He'll know what to do."

James agreed and they guided the trembling girl towards Dumbledore's office, where the Headmaster thanked them and sent them on their way. They went back to the Potions dungeon, but Peter informed them that Remus had gone back to the dormitory. They all followed suit and went up after him. Walking in, they found Remus perched on his bed, a blank expression across his face.

Hearing his friends enter, he turned to them. "I told you," he began, his face still expressionless. "People _do _care. You guys are just different, I guess."

"Well," Sirius began, looking incredibly uneasy. "She's just stupid. I'm sure no one-"

"It's not just her," Remus cut in, his tone resentful. "It's everyone. _She's_ not the odd one out, you guys are."

The boys didn't know what to say to this, as they lingered awkwardly in the doorway. Finally they decided upon silently taking seats beside him, each contemplating their own thoughts. It was unfair how four boys had to face the unjustness of the world at such an early age, one his whole life, instead of the innocent ignorance they should have donned. They sat quietly next to their friend for a while longer, not knowing any words of comfort.

This act, however, was greater than any words could have expressed; their loyalty proved that from that moment on, they would be there for each other, that nothing could divide the brotherhood they had formed in that instant.

They may not be able to count on the world, but they knew they could count on each other.


	23. Challenges and Chirping

Standing There By You

Ch. 23- Challenges and Chirping

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

A/N: Special thanks to Dulcis for helping elaborate Remus's tale ; )

Staying home for Christmas wasn't an absolute must, but most of the Third Years did so, as casually advised by Professor Fides.

Although they took the extra precaution and stayed at Hogwarts, the first challenge had yet to arrive.

"I'm beginning to think it's all a scam," Grace said one day at dinner. "We haven't even come in contact with one unusual object; maybe he just wants to sharpen out our senses. You know-"

"Expect the unexpected," Sirius quipped, sliding into a seat across from the girls. "You're all too narrow-minded."

"Shut up Sirius," said Grace, taking a sip of her soup.

"No really," Sirius continued, scooping large amounts of mashed potatoes onto his plate. "You have to notice the small details," he grabbed a spoon and dived into the food, "you have to keep your eyes open for _any_-"

"Sirius," said Lily, her eyes widening.

"-thing, you have to see what isn't there as well as what is there, you have to-"

"Sirius!" Lily tried again, her voice becoming more frantic.

"-open your eyes," Sirius continued, bringing the spoonful of potatoes up to his mouth. "That's all I'm saying, open your eyes girls, to the infinite poss-"

"Sirius!" Lily screamed, pointing at his mashed potatoes. "Would you open _your _eyes? Your mashed potatoes are acting quite odd, don't you think?!"

"Wha-?" Sirius looked down to the food that was very near to entering his mouth. "Oh, well, that's not _that_ odd,"

"They are bubbling and blue!"

"Well, okay, it's a _little_,"

"Sirius, give me the potatoes so I can figure out what's wrong," Lily demanded, holding out her hand for the spoon.

"Oh, but I really wanted these mashed potatoes and you see, it's the last of the batch and-"

Lily whimpered slightly. "Sirius. Give. Me. The. Potatoes."

"But-"

"SIRIUS GIVE ME THE POTAT-"

"Okay, okay," Sirius cowered. Pouting, he handed her the spoon. "Ya big meanie."

"Erm, okay," said Lily, holding the spoon in one hand, stretching her arm out to its fullest extent. In the other hand she grabbed her Advanced Charms book and leafed through it. "Sirius, go get Kirk and Sarah," Lily directed, skimming through her book.

Sirius frowned. "But I don't want to miss any of the action," he whined. Lily shot him a glare. "Okay, okay. You don't have to be so harsh."

He grudgingly got up and retrieved Kirk Douglas and Sarah Findley.

"I've got my DADA notes," Sarah offered, pulling a pile of parchments out of her over-stuffed bag.

"And I've got my Advanced Defense book," Kirk said, opening up a large text.

Sirius watched the three studious students tearing through the books in amusement. "Ha ha," he whispered happily to James. "I've so got the smart group."

"Okay, I've found something," Kirk said, and they all leaned over his book to see. "It's called Holus, and it'll thrive when mixed with starchy substances.

"And I've found our notes on it," Sarah said, marking the spot with her finger. "Oh, all it needs is a simple Frugifer spell."

Lily nodded slowly. "Fruax sound good?" she asked Kirk and Sarah. They nodded and so she pointed her wand to the bubbling food. "_Fruax!"_

The pile of the infested mashed potatoes quivered and puffed up a bit, before sinking down into the spoon and disappearing into whisps of blue smoke.

"Pity," Sirius said sadly. "It was such a _good_ scoop of potatoes."

"Congratulations," Professor Fides said, smiling as he walked over to them from the Staff Table. "The first challenge is a success."

The blue team beamed as the professor took out a lengthy parchment, and marked on it with his quill. "Top marks," he said. "For all of you."

Sirius grinned. "Good thing I'm here, eh Lilykins?"

"What?"

"Well if it weren't for my sharp senses and cunning-"

"Shut up, Sirius."

"I heard McGonagall talking to Dakota," James said, as he and Remus made their way down the corridor. The feast had just let out, and Sirius had stayed behind with his team to sort out some of the details.

"Oh," Remus said, turning to him. "What about?"

"He was interested in her Animagus form," said James. "Asked her how long it took." He sighed before continuing on. "Do you know it took her five_ years_ to fully transform?"

"Really?" Remus said, his eyes widening. "Well, you guys don't have to, I mean, that's a lot of-"

"Oh no, we're still doing it," said James. "Besides, I think we can do it in less time then that."

"Oh," Remus said lightly.

"Hey Remus," James said, as they turned a corner. "You never did tell me how you became a werewolf."

Remus paused slightly at this. "Well.. I don't really remember.."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," James said quickly. "If you don't want to talk about it."

"Oh, that's alright," Remus said, sighing. "I do remember it clearly, actually."

"Really?" James asked. "What happened?"

"Well, when I was little, we lived in this little town off the side of Manchester, in a wizarding village where everyone was close and," Remus smiled reminiscently, "intruding on everyone else's affairs.

"If someone got a new job, or even switched gardening tools, the whole neighborhood knew about it. One neighbor I was particularly fond of, was a very old man named Mr. Wilks. He was sick a lot, and remained mostly on his front porch, always peering over a book at the neighborhood events.

"Then one day when I was seven, my mum commented Mr. Wilks was looking awfully sick, even sicker than usual, and that she was going to bring him a plate of scones and maybe heat up some tea to cheer him up," Remus continued, as they walked slowly along the darkening hallway. "I offered to go instead, because I always liked spending the warm evenings talking to him on the front porch.

"The moonlight shone across the paved path as I made my way up to his small house, but I was a bit startled when I noticed he wasn't on his porch. He was _always_ on his porch.

"So I knocked on the front door, and I heard the most awful scratching noise. I knocked again, and this time the noise of the scratching was mixed with the rattling of chains. Worried for Mr. Wilks, I opened the door to see what was the matter. I remember not even being scared when I saw the werewolf chained to the staircase, but just greatly concerned for Mr. Wilks' safety. It didn't even occur to me Mr. Wilks was the werewolf.

"What did you do?" James asked incredulously.

"Well, being young and stupid, I thought I could take the werewolf on with just the scone plate." He gave a dry laugh. "Turns out I couldn't."

James nodded slightly, taking it all in. "So, how did your family take it?"

"Well, my parents were extremely upset, of course, so we moved straight away. Not that it mattered; Mr. Wilks moved the day after, to a more.. vacant area. He felt awful about it, no doubt.

"My parents took me to an infinite amount of Healers, in hopes of curing me, but nobody knew of any way to help it. They finally gave up when I was about ten, and we settled in a heavily wooded area in France."

"Remus," James asked, turning toward him. "Why don't you go to Beauxbatons?"

"They wouldn't accept me," Remus said indifferently. "But, it's okay, I'm glad I came here."

James grinned. "Me too."

The next day the students gathered for their Divination class; one would think having attended several months worth of classes would have left them accustomed to its unusual styles, but.. it had not.

"May I call upon Mr. Potter," Professor Evoco's mystical voice rang throughout the stuffy class-room.

James sighed as Sirius snickered. Ever since his detention in second year, Professor Evoco was under the impression that he had 'seer like qualities' that just needed to be molded a bit.

"What?" James asked wearily. The professor signaled for him to stand up and he complied, albeit reluctantly.

"Please, tell me what you see," she said, ambling over to him and shoving a plated silver dish before him. "The chips will waver and disort the image, creating an even more spectacular one."

"I see..." James started slowly, squinting. Suddenly he grinned and lifted his chin. "Me. You're right. The image is spectacular."

From a nearby table Lily let out an audible groan. "You are _such_-"

"Hush child," Professor Evoco snapped. "Can't you see he's in the middle of a premonition?"

Lily narrowed her eyes but kept quiet nonetheless.

"And..." Professor Evoco edged him on.

"Huh? Oh, um.. I'm King. And surrounded by many worshipers and lots of money."

"Yes," the professor nodded slowly, setting the metal object down. "That would mean..." suddenly, she raised her voice to a near yell. "Power! Strength!" Whisps of gray hair fell out of her loosely wrapped bun as she roared on passionately. "Wealth! Leadership! Your future will be filled with Money and Honorable Pride!!"

Having finished her triumphant speech, she bowed her head dramatically, awaiting the students' amazed response.

Cricket Cricket

"Well..." Professor Evoco whispered, slowly lifting her head. "Aren't you all enthralled?"

Cricket Cricket

"I see," she started, straightening herself up indignantly. "Looks like you and I are the only ones who truly appreciate the gift, Mister Potter."

Cricket Crick-

"Black stop that chirping!" Professor Evoco snapped, irritated at the students responses and Sirius's repeated noise making.

"Sorry professor," Sirius mumbled, trying to hide his slowly evolving grin.

"Mister Potter, I want a word after class," she said, ignoring Sirius.

James gave Sirius a puzzled look and the boy just shrugged back.

The rest of class proceeded as normal (well, at least as normal as any Divination class could be) and Sirius, Remus, and Peter waited for their friend after the class had been dismissed.

"What did she want?" Sirius asked, as soon as James hopped off the ladder.

James rolled his eyes. "She told me I should apply for Britain's International School for Seers."

Sirius laughed. "Well you're going to, aren't you? I mean, not too many students get this opportunity, James."

"Oh definitely," James continued, placing on a mock serious face. "There's got to be loads of teachers to make fun of there."

A/N: Hello! Thanks bundles for the reviews, you know I really really appreciate them ; )

Aerandir

EW4eva

Suji- Yay, you're back! I'm sorry about the virus, I'm glad your computer's all better now. You wardrobe proves you to be classy and sophisticated. Consider dressing down a bit.

Molly- I already sent you an e-mail.. but thanks again!

Oliverwoodschic- A new reviewer! I'm glad you liked it, thanks for the reviews : )

Misty Cherry

Siriuslyfun19212- That's okay, as long as you're back now ; )

Silverpheonix2

Gaby

Dulcis Caelum

Hermione1989

Kari- Lily and James love? Hehe.. I don't think that's coming for a while babe. I still need your e-mail address if you want to be a part of SBFC by the way!

writergirl709

Seilin- Thanks for the review, I really appreciated it : )

Jess


	24. Swift Saves and MADemoiselles

Standing There By You

Ch. 24- Swift Saves and _Mad_emoiselles

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

A/N: Wow.. you guys are wonderful and beyond. I honestly don't know if you realize how much you made my day, but you really, really did. I love your opinions and suggestions, and appreciate them so very much ; )

The Sirius Black Fan Club is still in full swing, and we have some very interesting things planned ; ) For those of you that 'signed up' after the first one was sent, I'll just send you the original one when the latest one is completed. This weekend has been incredibly busy, but I'll try and hurry to send the next e-mail.

Also, a lot of you asked me to check out your stories, which I will be more than happy to do. Lately I've been extremely busy, however, but I promise as soon as I have some free time I'll read and review : )

One more thing... I would just like to make sure you all know Grace made the team, (as it will soon become apparent) and that she was trying for Chaser. Sorry for any confusion!

She swooped through the air, aimlessly placed hair falling out of its bun as she accelerated towards the red ball. She stretched out her arm, and just as she was about to catch it-

"Sirius!" Grace yelled, wobbling unsteadily as she swerved around the soaring bludger. "Watch where you hit those things!"

"Sorry 'bout that," said Sirius. Although his words seemed sincere, his expression begged to differ.

It wasn't a match, luckily, just training. It was the fourth night that week that Gryffindor had stayed for an 'extended practice to fix your ignorant mistakes', as Richen so kindly put it, and the next game was quickly approaching.

Grace shook her head and flew around the post, waiting for Madison to toss her the quaffle once more. Just as she set her stance and prepared to catch the ball, however, something else distracted her.

Well it wasn't something else, per say, as it was still the bludger that lead her concentration astray, but this time there was something remarkably different about the weighted black sphere.

Watching with astonishment, the Gryffindor team and several spectators witnessed the chaotic acts of the bludger. Sirius had just been about to swing at it, and therefore remained in the position with his bat stretched far behind him, a puzzled look upon his face, when a sudden loss of gravity seemed to come over the bludger. It hovered for a moment, and then proceeded to bounce along haphazardly.

All eyes followed the ball as it lazily arched into the air, and then dropped toward the stands. This seemed like an unharmful action, because the way the bludger was moving, it appeared to weigh less than a balloon. They realized this wasn't true, however, as it cracked and destroyed half a dozen benches upon making harsh contact.

After wrecking that particular section of the stadium, it hobbled back into the air in the same fashion it had in the first place. This time it left an orange trail.

Grace's eyes widened as she took in the site before her. "A challenge," she muttered, soaring towards the bludger. Mid-flight, she paused, looking around at her teammates. This wasn't going to work; James was on the red team, and Sirius on the blue. Professor Fides specifically stated it was a group effort, and points would be deducted if the challenge was performed by only one member.

Grace hastily looked around, and felt relief wash over her as she spotted Remus, a fellow group member, sitting in the stands, apparently observing the practice with Peter. "Remus," she shouted, moving a little ways toward him. She was a bit hesitant to leave the bludger scene entirely, so ended up lingering between the rising and falling bludger, and where Remus sat.

The sandy-haired boy looked up, his eyes widening as the bouncing bludger came into view. "It's a challenge!" Grace yelled. "Please tell me you've got your Defense book!"

Remus nodded and ducked for a moment out of sight, only to pop up five seconds later with a large book in tow. Looking back up at Grace, he shouted back, "What could it be?"

Grace shrugged, watching wearily as the bludger created another collision. "Hurry!"

"Um.." Remus ripped frantically through the book. "Well, it _could _be a Gravine, but.."

"No, I don't think so," said Grace. "That can't conflict with solid objects."

"That's what I thought," Remus mumbled, still searching. "Do you think it's a fundere?" he asked, not looking up from the book.

Grace shook her head, becoming a bit worried as the bludger neared where Remus and Peter sat. "Wrong category."

"I know but," Remus skimmed through the passages hastily, "I can't find anything else!" He remained engrossed in the book, desperate to find anything to defeat the bludger.

"Remus," Grace said hesitantly. "You'd better-"

"Maybe it's the Lilings Morfis. But no, that would mean it'd have to be part of the Stelas , which it's not."

"Remus!"

The boy's eyes remained glued to the book, and her calls went unnoticed.

Too immersed in the book to look up and respond to Grace's calls, Remus didn't notice the bludger that was coming closer and closer until...

In a split second Grace decided to disregard the challenge or the points that were sure to be deducted, as she pointed her broomstick in the direction of Remus and the approaching bludger, and soared to the site.

Grabbing Sirius's bat as she zoomed past him, she drew it back and willed her broomstick forward, praying she'd get to Remus before the bludger did.

"Well, I just don't know what it could..." Remus trailed off as he looked up and saw the very near bludger. Eyes widening to the size of saucers, his mouth dropped open stupidly as the bludger bounced ten feet away from him, arching once more, as it always did before the inevitable drop.

To his left he heard Peter scurrying away hurriedly, cowering under a bench. Remus however, stayed stock-still, staring in shock as the bludger inched closer and closer, acting almost as if it were aimed particularly for him.

Just as the heavy black ball came within inches of Remus, Grace ripped by, hitting the fast approaching bludger with all of her might.

The ball, still acting in its buoyant fashion, seemed to bounce off of the bat, this time rising higher than it had before, its orange trail sparkling like fireworks.

Grace tore after the bludger, rising above it, and then pounding it mercilessly with her bat. Almost as if helium had consumed it, the ball persistantly arched up, but sank lower and lower to the ground as Grace smacked the ball repeatedly with as much force as she could muster. Finally, she and the bludger came within two feet of the ground where she smacked it still, her face going red from exertion. With one forceful wallop it lodged into the field, forming a hole in the crisp green grass.

The ball was so fixed into the ground it was apparent in had no means of escaping, but Grace pulverized the bugger nonetheless, pummeling it with one strike after the other.

"I think that's enough, Grace," she heard a voice say above her. Stopping mid-swing, she looked up to see Professor Fides smiling and Remus rushing onto the field.

"Oh, sorry professor," Grace said, brushing an unruly lock of violet hair behind her ear. "But we couldn't find anything else to do and-"

"It's my fault," Remus said, slightly out of breath from running onto the field. "I couldn't find anything in time and she just did what-"

"It's doesn't matter whose fault it is," Professor Fides interrupted, "considering you got full marks."

"What?" Grace and Remus asked together.

"You see, the important thing to realize about battling the dark arts," he explained, "is that there isn't a spell, hex, or potion that can fix everything. And even though your entire group isn't present, certain circumstances permit that. Sometimes you just need to use your resources." Looking down at the huge hole Grace had created from pounding the bludger repeatedly, he added, "And you did so. Even if you got a bit carried away..."

Grace smiled sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout that."

"Quite alright," said Professor Fides. "Although, it doesn't look as if Mister Richen's too happy."

The three looked over to see a very distressed Quidditch Captain, who appeared on the verge of tears as he gaped at the slight crater that lay in the middle of the field.

"While I figure out a way to retrieve this," Professor Fides said, looking down at the bludger, "you'd better get back to practice."

The two children watched as their professor knelt on the ground, examining the deep hole.

"Well Remus," Grace said, placing one leg over her broomstick as she prepared to fly off to practice. "It's been fun. Oh, and I do believe you owe me your life."

She smiled at this last comment, and after a few moments Remus did so as well, beginning to laugh. His chortles continued and after a while Grace looked at him curiously. "Was it really that funny?" she asked the laughing boy.

Remus only laughed harder, causing Grace to look a bit worried. "Well, I'm off then," she said slowly, giving a small wave to Peter as he walked onto the field. "See you around, Remus."

Peter caught up with Remus just as Grace flew off. He turned to look at Remus. "Why are you laughing?"

Remus's laughter immediately cut off, and he turned to look at Peter. "I don't know."

"This is highly unfair," James complained, as he and Sirius walked down the corridor. "I mean, every _other_ group has gotten a challenge."

"You're time will come, mate," Sirius said, patting his arm consolingly.

James rolled his eyes. "I haven't even seen a trace of one, maybe there was a mistake, or maybe-" James cut off as he spotted Julie coming out of the Library. "Julie!" he said, jogging up to her.

The girl paused and whirled around. Seeing it was James and Sirius, she crossed her arms hesitantly. "What do you want?" she asked.

"Have you seen anything interesting lately?" James said, hurrying to walk beside her. "I haven't noticed anything, and I was wondering if you guys found something without me."

Julie shook her head. "Nope. Nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing red."

James made a face. "Well I just don't get it. All of the _other_ teams-"

"Like I said before," Sirius cut in. "In due time, mate."

"Yes but," James protested, "I'm beginning to think..." the boy trailed off as Julie turned towards him and gave a maddened glare. "Er... what's the matter with you?"

Julie didn't respond, but instead decided upon sitting down in the middle of the hallway. James and Sirius stopped walking, and turned to look at one another with confused expressions. "Um... Julie," Sirius said, "what exactly are you doing?"

The girl ignored him and instead directed her gaze at James. "Team meeting," she said firmly. "Now."

"What? You want me to sit on the grou-"

"Now!"

Throwing Sirius one more bewildered look, James hesitantly lowered himself next to her. "Okay," he said slowly. "What are you on about?"

"We've got to make our own challenge," she said, almost hungrily. "There's plenty out there for us to corrupt, and then all we've got to do is fix it."

"Well," James began, looking a bit worried. "I don't think that's exactly what Professor Fides would want-"

"Enough of your rubbish," she said harshly, pressing her hands against the floor as leverage and pushing herself up. "Come on, we've got work to do."

James stood up too, and watched as the girl began stalking down the corridor. Ignoring Sirius, who was currently humming the theme of The Twilight Zone, he followed her uncertainly.

"Julie, what are you going to do, exactly?" James asked, once he had caught up with her.

"Not sure," she said briskly, her eyes searching the hallways. They reached the door, and she pushed it open, walking onto the grounds. Looking around, she spotted Hagrid's hut. "There," she pointed. "That cabin. More than likely there'll be a couple of axes laying around, so we can chop up some of his house and then charm it red. To everyone else it'll just seem as part of a challenge, you see, and then we can fix it and receive top marks."

James turned to look at Sirius incredulously. "What do we do?" he muttered under his breath, as Julie set off towards the cabin.

Sirius shrugged, and looked after the retreating figure of Julie. "I don't know... but she-she's scaring me."

James heaved a sigh and went after her once more. "I'll just stay here," said Sirius. Then he added under his breath, "She's not my psychotic teammate."

"Julie!" James yelled, as the girl began to search through Hagrid's small garden for an axe. He increased his speed as he saw she found what she was looking for.

James didn't know Hagrid very well, only bumping into him in the halls every so often, but he knew he was a kind enough man that didn't deserve having his home smashed into pieces.

"Julie, stop!" James tried again, finally approaching Hagrid's hut. He eyed the axe cautiously. "Put that _down_."

"We'll be able to fix it," she said, irritated. "Hurry up and grab one too. This is supposed to be a team effort, after all."

James lingered in front of her for a moment, unsure of what to do. "Why are you acting so strange?" he asked, unable to stop himself.

"Why am _I_ acting so strange?!" she shouted. "_You're _the one that won't pick up a damn axe and smash it into the house!" She glared at him piercingly, her eyes practically flashing red with anger.

Wait... not practically. They _were_ flashing red. James did a double-take and looked back into her eyes, but as soon as she blinked the color was gone.

"Fine," she said, turning around to walk towards the cabin. "I'll do it myself."

James stared after her still, as his mind processed the situation. He was sure he'd seen the color, but... how could this possibly be a challenge? It didn't matter. All he knew was, he had to stop her.

"_Accio Axe,_" James shouted, just as Julie drew back the tool to swing it down upon the cabin. He darted out of the way as the axe came flying towards him. Forgetting, of course, that by using that spell, the object would come to him no matter what. Luckily it was only the handle that hit him, but nonetheless the loud thump clearly signified a large bruise in the making.

Julie slowly turned toward him. "Give me the axe," she demanded.

"No," James said, bending down to grab the fallen object. "Julie, listen to me, I think you might be-"

"GIVE IT TO ME!" she roared, lunging at him.

"Look at that!" he cried suddenly, pointing to a spot above Julie. The girl turned around quickly, giving James enough time to step up behind her and clasp her arms together.

"Argh!" she yelled, struggling to be released from James's grasp. "Get off me you-"

"Listen," he said. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but you're not acting... normal, I think it's a challenge, or-"

"You're crazy," she said. "Absolutely mad."

James opened his mouth to say something else, but stopped as Julie stepped hard on his toe and wriggled out of his hold. "Stop!" he yelled, as she bent to pick up the axe. "Wait, just..." a sudden idea came to his mind and he raised his wand. "_Mobilicorpus_!" he yelled.

Julie fell to the ground as her ankles were bound together, as well as her wrists, but froze and levitated about three inches above the grassy terrace. The spelled didn't seem to work as well as it was supposed to, but it was good enough. After making sure Julie couldn't escape from the invisible bindings, James rushed away from the hut, looking for the rest of his teammates.

After about five minutes, he found Emily Tanner and Curtis Boot clustered in a large group of Ravenclaws, sitting under the towering trees. "Tanner! Boot!" he shouted, signaling to them. "Hurry, I think we've got a challenge!"

The two were immediately by his side and he didn't stop to explain, only hurrying back over to where he'd left Julie. The girl was thankfully still there, although now she looked incredibly hostile.

"I don't know what happened," he said, as his teammates looked at the scene curiously. "She was acting all mad and psychotic and I'm _positive_ I saw her eyes flash red and..."

"Well what should we do?" Curtis asked, already dragging out his Defense book.

"I don't know," said James. "Maybe it's a curse, or hex, or something."

Emily nodded. "Might be. Here, I'll read off a couple and you tell me if it fits the criteria."

James nodded and she continued, "Crucio: a curse used to cause one extreme pain; Cunjunctivitus: a curse affecting one's eyes; Densaugeo: a spell to cause a high rate enlarging of the teeth-"

James shook his head. "She doesn't look in pain, her eyesight appears normal, and her teeth seem okay to me."

"Furnunculus: causes boils to form; Impedimenta; slows down attackers; Imperius: a curse to gain control of living things; Locomotor Mortis: locks the victim's-"

"Wait, the Imperius Curse," said James. "That sounds like a possibility."

Emily nodded. "Well there's nothing else that seems similar, so let's just assume that's it."

"So now that we've figured out what it is," said James, "how do we fix it?"

"Finite Incantatem," Curtis read, "is used to cease any spell." He looked up at James and Emily. "Should we try it?"

They nodded and James took a step forward. "_Finite Incantatem_!"

Julie's angry glare wavered for a moment, but then the next second the same scowling face reappeared.

"It didn't work!" he said anxiously. "Now what?"

"Well maybe if we say it together?" Emily suggested. The group silently agreed and took a step towards Julie.

"I'm not the challenge!" she yelled angrily. "Come on, now with all of us here we can each grab an axe and do some _real_ damage!"

Now believing it wasn't the real Julie more so then ever, Emily, Curtis, and James lifted their wands and shouted, "_Finite Incantatem_!"

Julie's scowl immediately disappeared and she looked up at her teammates dubiously, her face paling. Before she could speak up, however, Professor Fides appeared out of the forest, two people by his side.

"Very well done," Dumbledore applauded, smiling at the exhausted group.

"Yer righ', Albus," Hagrid agreed. To his left Professor Fides nodded, before kneeling down besides Julie and taking off the Mobilicorpus spell, setting her wrists and ankles free.

"Excellent teamwork," said Professor Fides. "Superb."

"But, how could you have her under the Imperius Curse, if it's illegal?" asked Curtis.

"That would be why I'm here," Dumbledore explained. "To oversee the challenge, and to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Oh," Curtis nodded.

"So you knew about it, Hagrid?" James asked. "You weren't going to let the cabin be smashed to smithereens?"

"Tha's righ'" Hagrid said, surveying James with a smile, "but thanks fer tryin' ter help."

"Sure," said James. He smiled back at the large man.

"You lot feel free to stop by for a spot of tea," said Hagrid, directing his gaze to the entire team. The four members nodded, and just as he was about to continue on, Julie let out a gasp.

"Did I do that to your head?" she asked, looking at the large bump that had formed right under James's hairline.

"No," said James. "But you did smash my toe."

"Oh no, I suppose I'm at fault for that," Professor Fides said guiltily. "Sorry, it wasn't supposed to actually harm you... why don't you stop by Madame Pomfrey's and let her fix you up?"

"Nah," James said as he waved his hand, dismissing the suggestion. "I can handle it."

The elders smiled at his brave facade, but said nothing. Professor Fides pulled out his large scroll and began marking points, and the challenge being completed, the students headed back to Hogwarts.

"And she was thrashing about, but she was no match for me..."

James was recapping the recent event to his friends, elaborating in certain details and failing to mention others.

"Sounds wicked mate," Sirius said, sitting on the floor and dragging a chess board from underneath James's bed. "Wanna play?"

"Sure," James said, sitting beside Sirius. "Black or white?"

"White," said Sirius, as he set up his pieces. "Leave off where we ended yesterday?"

"Okay," James said, positioning his own marks. "My turn then?"

Sirius nodded, and James ordered his bishop to move. Grinning, he said happily, "Check!"

Sirius winced at this and looked at the board, contemplating his next move. His concentration broke, however, as an owl swooped into the room.

"Hercules," James said happily, holding out an arm for his owl to perch upon. "He must have the response from my parents. I asked them about that new broomstick, Supernova 500, you know. I heard it went on the markets yesterday and I've just got to have it. It's a bit expensive, but it comes with the most brilliant servicing kit and has excellent features."

"Oh," Sirius said, nudging one of his pieces.

"Well this is bloody ridiculous," James stormed, crumpling up the paper after a quick read through. "They said it _costs_ too much," he mimicked angrily, "and I don't _need_ it. Of course I need it! Don't they understand, a prime Quidditch player needs equally good equipment," he ranted. "You know, sometimes I hate my parents, I mean, I swear I've got the worst in the world." James directed his piece before muttering, "Checkmate."

James looked up, ready to see Sirius support him, but instead saw his friend looking at him furiously. "You're such a prat!" he said, his voice rising with anger. "You're such an incredibly awful person, and I can't stand-"

"What?" James asked, looking confused. "What are you talking about Sirius?"

"You, you," Sirius looked around wildly and his eyes stopped on the chess board. "You're a bloody cheater, that's what."

"What?" said James. "I'm not-"

"Sure you are," Sirius spat. He picked up a handful of angrily protesting pieces and threw them in James's direction.

James started, looking back at Sirius with a tinge of frustration. "I am not. You don't have to be such a sore lo-"

"I'm going," Sirius said, standing up abruptly. James watched in immense puzzlement as Sirius stomped out of the room and stalked down the staircase.

"What's _with_ him?!"

A/N: Uh oh.. Well, as much as I would absolutely love to respond to all of you individually, there's just not enough time and I don't want to take up too much space. Some of you wrote really awesome reviews, but I only commented on ones that asked questions. Thanks much!

Aerandir, Misty Cherry, MilesFromNormal, Water-sprite87, Siriuslyfun19212, Hermionette, Bracken-Fae, Loony, May, SweetMimi1, Writergirl709, EW4eva, Kari, Dreamless Stars, Silverpheonix2, Oliverwoodschic, FairyPrincess13, MaraudersMap, PatchLover08, Dreamlessnights, Luna Gypsy, Mrs. Radcliffe, Molly, Dulcis Caelum, Graceful Lily, Holly Nirvana, **Jennifer, Gaby-Malfoy, Moonylover2000, MidnightPrincess, Ninde Annare**

Hermione Granger- Hello! Thanks for the review but just to let you know, in PoA, chapter eighteen, Remus says the Whomping Willow was planted the year he came to Hogwarts. It's in book three, so maybe that's why you thought it was planted in his third year.

LeFae- I agree with you about Remus not being so quiet, but I really think he starts to speak up more and add in his opinions as he gets older- right now he's still a bit self-consious about his 'monthly ailment' but now that his friends know and are still sticking by him, he'll become more vocal. Thanks for your opinion!

SiRiuSbLacKsChiC4EvA- Padded walls...

Lily Skylo- You know, you really have to be careful when you leave reviews like that; it tends to inflate one's ego extensively ; ) But honestly, thank you so much for taking the time to write all that, it really innovates me to write more, and I appreciate it sooo much**.**

Windowseat Wonderer- Oh good, I'm glad you liked the 'quick' first year, I was a bit worried about that. Also, I was afraid of the whole Hermione thing, I'll try my best to steer clear of that. Thanks for the reviews!

Sasha- Hey, sorry if you were confused, I put your response at the top just in case anyone else was too. Thanks for the review ; )

lizzie15- Well I don't know about Sirius being a dumb jock, I think he is just the goofy adorable kind of funny, and can really act stupid sometimes, but in short he's actually quite brilliant. Also, when Remus is talking to James through the fireplace, it's still day time. Remus just couldn't come over because in a few hours it would be night and he would transform, and he couldn't take that risk. He'd also be really tired and sick. Hope I cleared up any confusion!

Vanima Failiss- Sorry, I'm not aware of any HP fan clubs (although I'm postitive they're out there) so this one will have to suffice ; ) I'll check you your story as soon as I can, promise. Yeesh! You are an impatient one, aren't you, lol. It's nice you like the story that much, though : ) Here you go, I updated!

Romulan Empress- Lol, glad you found it so funny! Yeah, you can use it in one of your stories, but remember, due credit... : )

Lyssa- Thanks for the offer! I might just take you up on it one day. When you post your stories, let me know : )

Shani- You don't know how tempted I am to just all of the sudden post a chapter with them in sixth year ; ) I'm trying not to drag out these years, and hopefully we'll get to the good stuff soon!(I'm just as eager as you are... if you can't tell)****

Midnightawoke2- Your reviews are so confusing! Lol.. but I _do_ like the idea of them doing the Hokey Pokey...

Christine- Hey, thanks for the long review! I hope you enjoyed the rest.. thanks for the puppet pals thing, lol : )

Lanette- Hehe, don't worry about it! Btw., those statements were so contradictory, if you were on a mission trip you're _obviously _not a bad person ; ) I'm glad you liked the tators.. and of _course_ you can still be in the fan club!

If you have a chance, check out my livejournal (It's under Homepage on my bio) because I'm going to start putting stuff about the SBFC and the story. If you visit, make sure you leave a comment to let me know : )


	25. Quarrelsome Comrades

Standing There By You

Ch. 25- Quarrelsome Comrades

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

a.k.a- it's not mine.

A/N: Hello! I have some sad news. I am going away. For _three _days. Where there will be _no_ computers. You know what that means, don't you? Yes, yes it means I shall not be up to my usual speedy updating standards. Please forgive me ; p

The second SBFC has been sent out! If I forgot anyone I'm immensely sorry, please let me know immediately if I did so.

Ah... but, the big question.

Is _Sirius_ being the prat?

Is _James_ being the prat?

Well that, my friends, you will find out very soon. Enjoy!

"I don't know what's the matter with him," James said, as he and Remus walked down the corridor, "I mean, it was only a game of chess."

Remus shrugged. "Maybe he really wanted to win."

James shook his head. "Ah well," he said, as they stepped inside the Great Hall. "There's the bloke over there, c'mon, let's go see if he's regained his sanity."

"'Ello mate," James said, sitting in the seat beside Sirius. "Gotten over the game, yet?"

Next to him Sirius scooted over a bit, in the opposite direction of James.

"Hello," James said, waving a hand in front of Sirius. "Earth to-"

"Remus could you please inform _him_ that I am not speaking to _him_," Sirius said, blatantly ignoring James's greeting.

"What?" James asked. "What do you mean you're not speak_-_"

"Do you hear something Peter?" said Sirius. "Because I sure don't!"

"You don't?" Peter said, looking between James and Sirius. "Oh, well James just said-"

Sirius looked up and gave him a pointed look, and after about five seconds Peter caught on.

James stared at his best friend for a couple of moments before grabbing his fork and jabbing it into his meat. "Fine," he said heatedly, "Peter can you please ask Sirius to pass the pepper?"

"Sure, erm.. Sirius, will you please pass the pepper?"

"There's no more pepper left," Sirius said, not looking up from his plate.

"Yes there is," said Peter, "it's right next-"

"Oh fine," Sirius said, picking up the pepper and shoving it across the table.

"Thank you," James mumbled.

"Can you please tell James that he is _not_ welcome."

Beside him James scowled and the next several minutes passed in thick silence as the four boys preoccupied themselves with their own dinners.

Finally, Sirius interrupted it by glancing over at Remus. "Remus, could you tell-"

"No," Remus said firmly, holding his hands up. "_I'm_ not coming between you two."

"Fine," Sirius huffed. "Peter, can you please tell James to pass the sauce?"

Peter turned to James. "James, can you please pass-"

"Nope," James said, "sorry, I ate the last of it."

"But-"

Before Peter could protest, James dumped the entire bowl of the remaining sauce onto his plate. "See," he said, "no sauce."

Sirius scowled. "Peter, can you please tell James that he is a selfish prat."

"James, you are a selfish pr-"

"Peter, tell Sirius he's an immature moron," James shot back.

"Sirius, you are an immatu-"

Sirius stood up angrily. "Tell him he's an awful ninny!"

Peter whimpered slightly before turning to James. "You're an aw-"

James followed suit, throwing down his napkin and standing up beside him. "Tell _him _he's a clumsy dolt that doesn't even know how to play Quidditch and needs to stop being so immature because he's acting like a complete imbecile!"

"He's a um..clumsy... er.." Peter looked incredibly flustered. "Um.. could you repeat that?"

"Yes, well tell _him_ that this clumsy dolt doesn't need friends that are such selfish prats!" Sirius stormed.

"This clumsy dolt doesn't need-"

"Fine!" James shouted back. "Well, this selfish prat doesn't want to be friends with a clumsy dolt anyway!"

Hogwarts was in shambles.

With the inseparable pair now well... separable, they had endured two full days without a trace of a prank. It was a very rare situation indeed.

"They're both stupid," Lily said, as the Gryffindors sat in Transfiguration. "I mean, look at them."

James and Sirius, who had always sat side by side in every class, now sat with Remus and Peter in-between them, both crossing their arms stubbornly and facing opposite directions.

"I suppose it's a good thing," Lily continued. "At least we don't have to witness those horrid pranks anymore."

"I don't know," said Grace. "I found them sort of amusing."

Lily shrugged, gathering her stuff as Professor McGonagall dismissed the class.

"Hey, do you guys want to take our lunch outside?" Julie asked, peering out the tall windows at the brightly lit grounds.

Her friends agreed and after a quick stop in the Hall, they arrived outside carrying light lunches.

"Where do you want to sit?" Lily asked, her eyes searching the grounds for a vacant spot.

"There's a spot by the lake," Grace said, and the girls headed off to sit by the cool water. Reaching the bank, they took off their socks and shoes and dangled their feet in the lake.

"You know, I think... ugh!"

Lily stopped mid-sentence, making a disgusted face.

"What?" Grace and Julie asked together.

"This," Lily said, pulling her foot out of the water. A bluish green sort of goopy substance dripped off her ankle and toes.

"Ew," her friends said, scrambling to pick their feet up out of the water. Julie made a face. "What _is _that?"

"Well, it's blue," Lily said, backing up from the substance. "It's some sort of foreign object," pulling out her wand, she continued, "and it's gradually making its way toward the school. I'm just going to take a wild guess and say it's a challenge."

As if in response to her comment, Sirius bounded up to the girls. "My watchful eyes come in quite handy," Sirius declared, "eh Lilykins?"

"Right," she said, turning back to the challenge. "Okay, this is actually quite simple, I think-"

"Never fear," Sirius said, taking a step in front of her. "_I _will handle this!"

"No, Sirius, no," Lily said, attempting to push him aside. "You see, all we have to-"

"Trust me, I can deal with the terrors this creature brings," he said, valiantly taking another step toward it and brandishing his wand.

"Sirius,"

Ignoring Lily's protests Sirius raised his wand and shouted, "_Cornucopia_!"

The blob acted at first as if it was about to dissolve, causing Sirius to grin in achievement.

A split-second later, however, it decided to burst, sending remnants soaring across the bank and all over Sirius.

The boy froze, his hair lathered and entire body covered in the poignant goop. A few seconds passed by in which no one uttered a word, until a loud bout of laughter came from somewhere behind him. Spitting out the substance and spinning around, Sirius was met with a highly amused James, who was laughing heartily at his expense.

Sirius didn't say anything, only wiping the gook out of his eyes and grabbing his fallen wand, before stomping off toward the school.

"Oh our points are going to be dreadful," Lily said in a small voice, staring at the splattered substance with a sigh.

By the next day James and Sirius decided if they weren't going to be best friends anymore, there'd be a dire need for a replacement. That is why, on a warm, perfect night for quidditch, James sat in the library with Remus.

Yes, the library.

On a perfect night for quidditch.

James stared wistfully out of the dusty windows, leaning against the wooden table with a sigh. "Remus," he said, sitting up. "What'd you say to a quick game of quidditch?"

Remus peered at James over his book. "Eh, I'm not much for quidditch. Besides, we've got that huge test in Transfiguration tomorrow."

James looked at him incredulously. "But.. so all your going to do is study? That's _all_ you do!" He sighed, laying his head back on the table. "You need a new hobby, mate.."

"Hey, Pete, this is going to be fun, eh?" Sirius said enthusiastically. "We don't need _him_ to keep ourselves amused."

"Right," Peter said, shaking his head excitedly.

"Okay, so what do you want to do, the Filibusters, or Perishables?" Sirius asked, holding out a hand for each decision.

Peter nodded. "Yes, that sounds good."

"What? No, I'm asking your _opinion_ Pete. Which one do you want to do?"

Peter looked confused for a moment, before inclining his head slowly. "Yes.. that sounds-"

"No, I want to know what _you_ want to do," Sirius cut in.

Peter looked flustered. "Um.. well, what er.. what do you want to do then?"

Sirius frowned. "No but.. well, I do favor the Perishables a bit-"

"Perishables it is!" Peter said triumphantly.

Sirius sighed. "Okay, Pete. Well grab some, and let's go."

"Grab some? Oh, oh well I thought, well you know I don't really like the Perishables now that I think about it, I mean we've got to lift-"

"Fine," Sirius said, a bit annoyed. "We'll grab the Filibusters then."

"Oh, well," Peter stuttered, "I really think,"

"Fine," Sirius said, throwing his hands into the air. "Nevermind."

"Well, I'm sorry, I mean, we could if you.."

"Nah, it's alright Pete. Let's just go back to the dormitory. Oh, I've learned some _excellent_ new jokes..."

"Okay, so the string walks up to the bartender," James said excitedly, "and the bartender's like-"

"Wait," Remus interrupted, holding up a hand. "A string is speaking?"

James sighed. "Yes. Okay, so anyway, the string says-"

"I still don't see how the string is speaking. Is he under some sort of enchantment, or something?"

James gave a frustrated sigh. "No, the string... wouldyoujustlistentothejoke!?"

"Alright, so then the bartender says, we don't serve strings here," Sirius said, his grin appearing already. "And so the string goes and sits down with the others-"

Sirius was interrupted as a very loud round of applause and laughter erupted from Peter.

"No Pete," Sirius said sadly. "That wasn't the end of the joke."

"Well that's just awful," Remus said. "Not serving strings? That's pure discrimination. I think he could get him with a lawsuit, or something of the like."

James let out a small whimper. "It's a _joke_, Remus. Would you just listen?"

"Fine," Remus said, picking up his book again. "But I still think that's highly intolerant..."

Sirius's hand pushed hard against his face as he drooped down onto his bed.

"Peter," he said slowly. "It's _still _not the end of the joke."

"Oh, sorry." Peter immediately stopped laughing. "Go on."

Without as much enthusiasm he had contained before, Sirius continued. "Okay, so the string goes up to the bartender again, and the guy turns the string down a second time. And so then the string gets an idea- nope, still not the end- so he loops himself into a knot, and roughens the end a bit. So for the third time he goes to order a drink, and the bartender's like, hey aren't you a string?" Here Sirius grinned, as he approached the punch line. "And the strings like, no, I'm a frayed knot!"

Peter looked at him stupidly, his mouth slack and his expression ready for the rest of the joke.

"It's the end of the joke, Pete," Sirius said dryly.

"Oh," Peter said, coming back to life and applauding and cheering loudly. "Yay!"

Sirius sighed. This was _not_ fun.

"...And then the string says, no, I'm a frayed knot!"

After a few moments of silence, Remus looked up from his book. "What? Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, very funny. You see, I got caught up in this incredible article on..."

James slumped in his seat. He couldn't live like this. It just wasn't possible.

"Oh, dinner's already started," Remus said, jumping up from the table. "Ready?"

"Very," James said, his spirits lifting. Food would be a very nice break from this awful day.

As they arrived at the Great Hall, however, someone else arrived at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked hotly.

"Well let's see," James said, in mock concentration. "We've got food, tables, silverware, and it's dinner time. What could we _possibly_ be doing here?"

Sirius ignored him, taking a large stride towards the door. James, unfortunately, stepped at the same time.

"Excuse me," James said angrily, "but I believe _I_ was here first."

"Right," said Sirius, as he stood lodged between the doorframe and James. "And mongooses eat bologna."

James rolled his eyes. "That's the stupidest-"

"_You're _the stupidest!"

"No, _you're_ the stupidest!"

"No, _you_-"

"Once you've decided upon who is the... stupidest," Professor Dumbledore's voice boomed from his position at the staff table. "It would be much appreciated if you'd sit down and join us for dinner."

James and Sirius mumbled something incoherent before slumping back toward their seats.

"You're the stupidest," Sirius said quickly, and took a seat at the end of the table before James had a chance to respond.

Scowling, James took his normal seat beside Remus. 'Well, at least dinner will be good,' James thought, sliding onto the bench. 'Nothing can ruin my spirits here.'

Next to him Remus drew out a large book and began skimming though it. "James, I'll quiz you for tomorrow's test, and then we can make a sort of outline, okay?"

Remus looked up from the book. "James? James, why are you banging your head on the table? James?"

That night after the common room had emptied, Sirius sat in his usual red armchair, bouncing up and down a yo yo James had bought him one year for Christmas. It was a muggle toy, but his aunt had found it on her trip to America, or something.

"Oh look, a yo yo's playing with a yo yo."

Sirius looked up and saw James standing by the portrait, a stack of cakes in one hand, and the invisibility cloak in the other.

"Yeah, well at least I'm not a.. a.." Sirius stood stumped, his mind too boggled at the moment to come up with any quirky comebacks.

James grinned. It wasn't a friendly grin either, like they had always shared, but a mocking one.

"Shove off," Sirius said heavily, too disheartened to put any energy into fighting with James.

Behind him he heard James set off towards the staircase. His footsteps paused however, and he called across the room to Sirius. "You know, I can't believe I was ever friends with such a bloody prat."

"And you think I can?"

"Hey, I'm not the numskull here; you're the one that threw our friendship away just because of a stupid game!"

Sirius didn't respond, so he continued on. "I mean, I know you don't like losing, but honestly. A game's a game, and if you're too much of an imbec-"

"I'm sorry!" Sirius exclaimed, finally cracking.

"What?" James asked, taken away by his abrupt apology. He took a step off the stair-case. "Are you-"

James was cut off as Sirius knocked him over with a huge bear hug. "Ugh... Sirius.."

"James!" Sirius wailed in a strangled sort of voice. "I missed you!"

"Er.. it's okay Sirius..." James pat his head wearily. "There, there.."

Sirius pulled away and plopped onto the floor with a gigantic sigh. James followed suit, landing beside him.

"I'm sorry," Sirius said, looking up at James with wide eyes. "It's just... you made me so angry when you were talking about them like that... you've got the best parents in the world, you know? I don't think you realize..."

James looked at him curiously. "What?"

"When you got the letter- and you were just saying- and you're just so _lucky_ you know and-"

"I," James began wearily, "I thought this was about _chess_."

"No," Sirius shook his head. "No, you were saying how you've got the worst parents in the world and you _hate_ them and how-"

"But," James said weakly, "you called me a cheater, and..."

"Well what was I supposed to call you?" Sirius asked, looking up at him. "A spoiled dickens who must be blind 'cause he can't see what's right in front of him?"

Sirius looked over at James hesitantly, hoping the comment hadn't angered him.

James shrugged. "Yeah, I guess that would've worked."

After a couple moments of silence, James spoke up again. "I was being the idiot, wasn't I."

Sirius gave a slight grin and nodded. "Yes, yes you were."

James laughed too. "Sorry," he said.

"Ah Jamsie," Sirius said, leaning back against the stair. "Let's never ever fight again. I don't think my sanity could take it."

"I know," James said, "I mean, Remus is great and all,"

"As is Peter," Sirius quickly put in. "But..."

The two boys grinned. Sirius stood up, ruffling James's hair roughly in the process. "C'mon mate, I've got to tell you this excellent joke about a string. Ever heard it?"

A/N: Hello! And now to thank my wonderful reviewers...

Oliverwoodschic- Yes James does need to realize that. Quite the dickens, isn't he?

Lanette- Yes he was, you guessed it ; ) Thanks for the review.

Aerandir- James and Dirius? Hahaha. See you in a few, babaloo.

Gaby- Glad you liked the challenge, and very glad you guessed it! I was worried there for awhile. Thanks for the review!

moonylover2000- _Was_ Sirius being the prat?

Misty Cherry- Draco Malfoy? eck. Thanks for the fantastic review, glad you liked it!

Luna Gypsy- LOVE LOVE LOVE your reviews!

Simple Gurl.YEA RIGHT,JERK- He is all that, isn't he? I like cheesecake too.

Hermione1989- Pull a JKR? I think I shall! Hehe, thanks for the review.

MidnightPrincess- Hehe, cute review. Thanks!

Molly- Hello! I'm dreadfully sorry about the fearing charm, I hope it wears off soon. I also suffer LLJD, it can be the most horrid experience too, let me tell you. Ah, and... what the heck are you talking about w/ the chaser being kicked off the team? Do you mean for James? Because he already has a position. Seeker. Remember, in 2nd year? Yes, I know, I know, JKR has publicly announced he was chaser, but somehow that slipped my mind and I followed the dreadful movies instead. Ah well. Thanks for the review!

MilesFromNormal- I don't know.. what _is_ up with Sirius? Mwhaha- oh wait, you just read it. Huh. Oh, I have to apologize, I'm really sorry I haven't checked out your new story yet, things just have been so hectic. I promise I will as soon as I get a chance.

EW4eva- Hehe, I'm glad you enjoyed it ; ) Thanks for the review, and.. of course I'm not going to answer any of your questions!

loadsofwaffle- Glad you liked it! Hurry up and update yours ; p

LeFae- Wow, a lot of people mentioned Lily wasn't in the last chapter.. sorry about that! Ah, so you figured the James/Sirius thing out too, kudos! Thanks for the review ; )

May- Well, he gave them full marks because the concept of the challenge was that there isn't a magic technique for everything, and they did exactly what they were supposed to . Glad you liked it anyway!

Suji- Hello! Glad you liked it, thanks for the review! Ah yes, perfect 'night on the town' attire. A cheer? Awesome! You come up with one, we'll use it.

MauradersMap- Glad you liked it.. ugh, I sent the fan club _right_ before you reviewed me! But you can still be a part, of course.

ImperishableStars- Yay, you're back! Sorry about your computer, must've been tough ; ) Thanks for the review!

Iluvsnuffles- Whoa. AMAZING name : ) Well, the Sirius fanclub is... kinda corny and just for fun. Give me your e-mail address if you'd like to join. Thanks for the review!

Siriuslyfun19212- Thanks for the review! Of course you can join the SBFC.. I sent you it, right? If I didn't let me know.

Jounin-Elite- Hello! Xinran? I _am _Xinran! No, in all actuality I have no idea who you're talking about. I might know 'em, but I'm mostly on a penname basis here. Thanks for the fabulous reviews! J.K. Rowling? Oh, you make me blush.

Graceful Lily- See, even little reviews that say 'update soon' make me happy. Thanks!

SuperHiperChit- _Clearly_. Glad you figured it out! (sort-of) Thanks for the review ; )

Romulan Empress- I don't know. James can be stupid. Lol, thanks for the review!!

Ninde Annare- Hola! Thanks for the review, much appreciated ; )


	26. Essays of Exertion

Standing There By You

Ch. 26- Essays of Exertion

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recongnizable material belongs to the infamous J.K.Rowling.

aka. it's not mine.

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A/N: I'm baaaaaack! Didja miss me? I surely missed you ; ) Sorry it took me awhile to update, camping lag can do that you. Yup, I went camping (rained a lot, yeck), and guess what I did.

Dressed up as a bear.

Yes, a bear.

A bear by the name of Boo Boo.

Please don't ask.

In accordance to the Sirius Black Fan Club: I am, I must admit, disappointed. Only _one_ person responded to the quest. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue... is anyone actually reading it?

Ah well, onto the thing you've all clicked here for, Chapter 26.

With James and Sirius's fight a distant memory by the next morning, all resumed normal and pranks commenced at Hogwarts once more. As if to make up for the lack of mischief, the boys pulled a sort of blitzkrieg technique, pounding out one prank after another.

Lily, Grace, and Julie however, were quite a different matter. For as of recently a third of the group had inhabited the library, only coming out when necessary, (aka, Grace and Julie dragging Lily to dinner).

Now, Lily Evans had always been always been very studious, yet recently she had reached a studying extreme. It wasn't so much the grade that concerned her, but moreover pride and dignity.

Let's go back to Monday's Transfiguration class, shall we?

"Mister Pettigrew, please inform the class of the Ambrose's main characteristics."

Peter looked up, hesitantly meeting Professor McGonagall's eyes. "Erm... it fends off attackers with the sucrose spray, and..." he trailed off as her reproving glare signified he had answered incorrectly.

"Yes Miss Evans?" Professor McGonagall said, nodding at the red head.

"Actually professor, the Ambrose's main characteristic _would_ be its defense mechanism, but that would be labeled Tangent spray, not sucrose." Lily smiled after delivering her response, proud that she'd apparently been the only one to read ahead a chapter in her Transfiguration book.

"Well," James spoke up before Professor McGonagall had a chance to respond, "_actually_ professor," he paused as Lily glared at his mocking words. He swiftly set aside the taunting tone and replaced it with a brisk professional one. "While the defense mechanism of an Ambr_ise_ is indeed a Tangent Spray, it is not the main characteristic of its brother entity, Ambrose. That would be known as Lineok, a process in which the creature is trapped between two adhesive substances."

"Very good, Mister Potter," Professor McGonagall praised, smiling approvingly. "Ten points to Gryffindor."

"Oh it was nothing," James replied. "The switching of the brother entities is, after all," he turned to grin at Lily, "a _common_ mistake."

Lily scowled, reddening slightly as several students snickered at his mocking amendment. As soon as Professor McGonagall turned to write the latest assignment's requirements on the board, James leaned far over his desk and behind Lily.

"Nice try, Evans," he whispered, laughing when he noticed her start at his unexpected words.

"Stuff it, Potter," she hissed back.

"Oh, don't get all angry with me now that you've gone and realized your true ignorance," James replied, his calm voice agitating Lily more than his previous taunting one.

Taking a deep breath, Lily turned around to face him and opened her mouth to retort. "You think that just because-"

"Miss _Evans_." Lily turned around quickly at Professor McGonagall's firm beckon. The teacher scanned over the student slowly, frowning. "Class is clearly not yet dismissed. Next time you interrupt, I can assure you it will earn you a detention."

Lily opened and closed her mouth soundlessly. Not in three years had she _ever_ even been scolded, but a detention threat? It was much too much to fathom. "Yes Professor," she managed to squeak. Finding it an adequate enough response, Professor McGonagall turned briskly back to the board, issuing the outline for the essay she had assigned.

As Lily bowed her head and whipped out a quill to take diligent notes, she could hear James and Sirius laughing heartily behind her.

A few moments later Professor McGonagall dismissed the class. "Three feet minimum," she called, as the class began to gather their books, "if you'd like a decent grade."

"_Oh_," Lily fumed, once she and her friends had exited the class-room. "He's so, so-"

"Handsome, witty, brilliant, charming, incredibly courageous, strong," James put in, as he and Sirius passed by the girls.

"You forgot modest," Grace said dryly.

"No, I was thinking more like a superficial idiot," Lily snapped. "Not to mention derisive and highly hubristic.

James rolled his eyes. "Right, is widdle Evans jealous of my incredible talents?" he cooed, as Sirius laughed beside him. The boy shrugged. "Just drop it. I'm better than you, and that's all there is to it."

Lily's mouth dropped open. "You are _such_-

"Yes, we know," Sirius said lazily. "Now, we don't mind if you continue your little tirade of insults, but most unfortunately, we will not be present. My stomach is rumbling and ready for some of the Great Hall's magnificent grub."

"Ah yes, sounds excellent. I hope they have chicken..." James and Sirius began to walk down the hallway towards their goal of a filling and scrumptious meal.

"Potter," Lily called after them. "You, you are just-"

"Yes, that's it Lilykins," Sirius encouraged, continuing their tread down the corridor. "Just like that. Keep ranting, and we'll keep walking."

"_Argh_!" Lily cried, turning back toward her friends in a fury. "Can you _believe_ him? I mean, he just _had_ to show me up, and there wasn't even a need-"

"Lily, c'mon," Julie coaxed, grabbing her elbow gently. "Let's just get you something to eat..."

"What!?" Lily exclaimed, turning to face her friends incredulously. "There's no _time_ to eat, I've got to get started on the Transfiguration essay!"

"What?" Grace asked, scrunching up her face. "Why?"

"Well isn't it obvious?" she admonished. "I've _got_ to score better than Potter."

"Lily," Julie said softly, looking down at the furiously writing girl. "C'mon, let's go get-"

"I can't do anything right now," she said absently, peering over her book for further reference. "I've just discovered an excellent article."

Grace and Julie gave a collective sigh. While Julie reluctantly took a seat next to Lily and ruffled through her own notes, Grace lingered by the bookshelves, looking for anything of interest.

"Who am I kidding," she said to herself, as her fingers ran down the spine of an ancient and unrecognizable book, "something thrilling in this old place? Highly unlikely."

"The first sign of insanity is talking to yourself," a voice informed her from behind a shelf.

Grace jumped away from the books, and the look of shock on her face must have been apparent because laughter soon followed.

Furrowing her brows angrily, she turned the corner and was met with a grinning Sirius, surrounded by his fellow Marauders. "'Ello there," he greeted cheekily.

Beside him James smiled as well, but his gaze was in the direction of the frantic image of Lily. "Look at her," he said, amused. "She's right old mad, she is." Next to him, Peter peered over his shoulder, and Remus stood engulfed in a book.

Grace rolled her eyes. "Don't scare me like that, you goon," she said to Sirius in an annoyed voice, albeit smiling slightly. "I almost thought the book was talking to me. You never know in this place..."

"Ah yes, books can be quite frightening," Sirius said, arching a brow and smiling coyly. He swiftly slid off a pile of books from the shelf, and began to leaf through them. "Yes**, **see this one, it's extremely scary. Just look at those terrifying pictures."

He tilted the book a bit and an image of several birds hopping in the snow came into view. "Oh, and this one, would you just _look_ at those scary stars and moons."

"Shut up, Sirius," Grace said, making a face.

"Oh but wait," he said in a hushed voice, as he reached over to grab the last book. "This one looks especially creepy, what with this picture of a _bunny rabbit_ on the front." He made a slow and steady motion to open the cover, his movements unnaturally long as he mocked Grace. "I will protect you m'lady, from the horrors this- ahhh!!!"

Sirius cut off from his cavalier-like facade as he let out a loud and piercing shriek. As soon as he had opened the book it let out a loud and venomous cackling, a hag's head protruding from its pages. He hurriedly slammed the book shut, panting from the sudden shock.

The others were laughing their heads off.

"I'm sorry Sirius," Grace said between gasps of air, "I didn't catch that last bit. You'll protect me from the horrors this... ahh?"

Everyone dissolved into laughter once more, while Sirius stood tall to uphold his pride. "Well I _told_ you they were frightening," he said indignantly.

"That you did," James said, clapping him on the back.

"I suppose you could've told him, eh Remus?" Grace asked, smiling at the boy. "You're familiar with the books and such."

Remus looked at her a moment before nodding quickly, and re-opening his book.

"Is that any good?" she asked, peering over at the large book.

Remus didn't look up, yet again engrossed in the literature. He mumbled something incomprehensible and Grace shrugged, turning back towards James and Sirius. "Well, see you blokes later. I've got to go try and haul Lily down to the Hall."

With that she left, and James turned to replace the books. "Alright, I think we've got all that we need," he said, shifting a large stack of novels and grabbing the books they had discreetly stacked behind them. "Ready then?"

Sirius nodded and looked over at Remus. "Are you com-" he cut off and he looked at him strangely as Remus continued to read from his book. "Remus, why is your book upside down?"

"What?" Remus asked, snapping his head up to face Sirius. "Oh, that, that's..." He looked back down at his book and righted it. "Well," he said slowly. "I just read an article that stated all sorts of different styles of reading. I was interested to try it out... by doing this you can find... unique codes and such."

There were a few moments of silence, in which Sirius stared back at the boy and his unconventional style of reading, and Remus looked back hopefully.

"That's brilliant," Sirius nodded. "I'm definitely going to try that one of these days."

Remus's sigh of relief went unnoticed as the two boys hurried to catch up with James and Peter. On their way out of the grand doors they passed by Grace and Julie heaving a protesting Lily out of the doorway, the frantic red-head reaching desperately for her books as her friends looked on the verge of exhaustion.

That next Monday in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Fides stood at the head of the class, handing out thick stacks of parchments.

"These would be your current grades," he informed them. "Points from the tasks are included on the left hand column, for you to evaluate your team's progress."

"Full marks," James hooted. He grinned at his team. "We're bloody brilliant, eh?" His team members smiled back, as each glanced at their own grade sheet.

"What'd we get?" Sirius asked, leaning over to Lily's desk.

Lily glared at him over the parchment. "Far from full marks, Sirius. Which of _course _could've been easily prevented if you hadn't blown up our challenge!"

Sirius shrunk back. "Hey, you can't blame it all on me. You reacted way too slow with those mashed potatoes, if I recall."

Lily looked ready to blow a casket, but just then the professor began to address the class. "As you well know, the school year is almost complete," he said, smiling as the students perked up, "and as are the tasks. These by no means are your final grades, and you will have plenty of time to increase your score.

"As exams are approaching," he continued, "the number of challenges will descend immensely, but I advise you to nevertheless keep an eye out."

The students nodded in understanding, looking back at their parchments; they spent the remainder of the class talking quietly amongst their teammates.

"Thank goodness we've got lunch," Grace commented, as soon as they exited the class-room. "I'm-"

"I know what you mean," Lily said, her words rushed as she hurried down the hall. "Another hour of free time to work on the essay before Transfiguration begins."

"I was _going_ to say, because I'm starving," Grace said, shaking her head as Lily increased her pace towards the Great Hall.

Julie sighed, as she and Grace sped up to catch up with her. "Lily," she said, as they occupied two seats near her, "you've already written your entire paper and then some, what else could you possibly do to it?"

"Oh plenty," she said, taking out a large pile of books and plopping them on the table. She took out a quill and traced the lines of her essay with the tip, mumbling quietly to herself.

"Yup, she's definitely mad."

Lily looked up to see the Marauders standing before her, James shaking his head sadly. "We've lost her, we've truly lost her."

Aside from a small huff, Lily ignored him and went back to her proof-reading.

"Do you think she's an alien?" James asked with mock curiosity, tilting his head at Sirius. "I've never seen anyone act this way... or look, for that matter."

Lily looked up at him and narrowed her eyes. "Shove off."

James threw back another insult that made Lily scowl, as she shoved her book to the side and glared up at him.

"I could be angry," she said slowly from behind clenched teeth.

"Could be?" Sirius muttered softly.

"But I'm not," she continued in the same forced calm voice, "because we'll see who's laughing when our essay grades come back." She smiled at this, repositioning herself over the parchment and returning to the assignment.

James turned to Sirius. "There's an essay?"

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A/N: Well, sorry it's so short folks, next chapter should (hopefully, lol) be longer. Oh btw., I'm pretty sure Ch. 27 is going to be the last of third year. **Yay!**

Luna Gypsy- Thanks for the review, I always look forward to yours!

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Misty Cherry- Wow, long review, I'm really glad you liked it so much ; )

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Windowseat Wonderer- Ooh, I love Kudos. But that's beside the point. Thanks for the review!

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Molly- Yes, I suppose Sirius was a bit apologetic, but it is _Sirius_ after all. Don't ask me what that means, I don't even know ; p Thanks for the review!

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Romulan Empress- Hehe, yes, they are both the stupidest. I'm glad you liked it! Btw., what's your name stand for? It's unique.

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SuperHiperChit- Oh wow, glad you enjoyed it so much! How's that story coming...

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MidnightPrincess- Yupyup, you were right! Good job, thanks for the review!

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Gaby-Malfoy- Yeah, James might've been a bit harsh, but I just wanted to show how much no one else could replace their best buds. Lol, your 'give him to me' statement made me laugh. Oh, btw.. have you updated your story recently? I think my computer screwed it up... dumb technology.

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Aerandir- Wow, you really liked the joke ; p Thanks for the review!

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Vanima Failiss- Lol, that's okay, we're all a bit clumsy. Thanks for the review!

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butterfly-elf- Don't worry, it'll continue to do that (or try at least), thanks for the review!

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Manny2003- I tried m'dear, I tried. ; p

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Oksana- Glad you like the chapters, and yes, I'll e-mail you. (Lol, sorry, I forgot)

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MelissaMoony- Wow, thanks for the review! It made me feel special ; ) Ah the land of no computers... crazy stuff I tell you.

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EW4eva- Lol, I know it didn't last long, but I just couldn't bear to have them fight any longer. It was just too tough. Thanks for the review!

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iluvsnuffles- Oh, so true. Thanks for the long review, much appreciated!

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Killer-purple-froggy/Lanette- Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked it : )

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Midnightawoke2- What other funny phrases? I do have to commend you though, your confusing reviews have become (slowly but surely) increasingly comprehendible. Lol, thanks bunches for the reviews!

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Cait1025- Ah yes, tis sad but true about Peter. Stupid bloke ; )

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Suji- Insanely stupid and pointless? Sounds splendid! Hehe, thanks for the review!

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Amy Lampion- Lol, yeah, my parents worry when I laugh at the computer too, it's okay. Glad you giggled ; )

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Jounin-Elite- Already talked to you about Rosmerta, so that's settled, and about Sirius, hehe, yeah, I realize that was a bit over-dramatic.

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MilesFromNormal- It _is_ sad that such a wonderful creature was born from such evil ones. ::sigh:: Thanks for the review ; )

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CotN4life- Wow, thanks for the long review, I'm really glad you like it : ) Very awesome name (even though I don't know wrestling..) Thanks again!

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Siriuslyfun19212- Oh yes, I definitely know what you mean. I looove the 'I'd die for you' best friend thing too, and I hope I portray that. Thanks for the review!

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kawwai-kitsune- Anti-Harry Potter?! Oh my. Hehe, well I'm glad she enjoyed the story nevertheless, thanks bunches!

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May- Hola! Okay, about Sirius calling him a cheater. He was mad at James for acting that way about his parents, but he's not the type that will just come right out and say it, you know? So, I said 'his eyes searched wildly and met the chessboard...' as in, he was just searching for a spur of the moment excuse to get mad at him. Get it? It's okay if you don't, I confuse even myself sometimes... thanks for the review!

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Blackiebrens- Word up.

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????- Thanks for the review, oh, and they're in their third year. Glad you like it : )

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Sun Kissed Rose- Thanks for the review, I promise I'll check out your story ASAP, and nope, not too late to join!

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espergirl04- You don't know how good your review made me feel. Oh my... it was just, yay! Hehe. I'm very glad I could make you and your bro laugh, hope you enjoy the rest!

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Oliverwoodschic- Hehe, yeah, my beta said the same thing when she was reading it. About the dickens, that is. I don't really know where it came from.. lol, thanks for the review ; )

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Silverpheonix2- ::sigh:: No, I must admit I did not make up the joke, but I can't remember where I heard it, so I therefore couldn't disclaim it. So... if the person who made that joke up is out there, I disclaim you. Thanks for the review(s)!

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Poohdog- I'm glad you liked it, and yes, I completely agree about Peter. It wouldn't be such a tragedy if they weren't friends and he betrayed him, right? Thanks for the review!

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MoonysGal2181- Wow, thanks so much for the review, it really made my day! I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks again!

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Ashley- I'm glad you liked the beginning, hope you enjoyed the rest ; )

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Evil Scratching Post- Hehe, I'm happy you liked it so much! Thanks for the review ; )

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Silky- Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it!

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FreckledIrishMaiden- Thanks for the reviews!! Lol, glad you liked the joke, and sorry about the SBFC... btw, what was your old penname? I sort of forget... : )


	27. Enlightening Indulgences

Standing There By You

Ch. 27- Enlightening Indulgences

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I still don't own it.

A/N: Wow, very long chapter ahead, hope you like it ; ) Just to letcha know, there _is _an essay, I just wrote that last line to show James didn't remember/work on it, up until an hour before class.

Erm... I'm very scared to see your reactions to a bunch of things in this chapter... please still love me.

The Gryffindors sat on the edge of their hard wooden chairs anxiously, Professor McGonagall's brisk lecture flowing in one ear and out the other.

The majority of the class (the 'sane ones' as Grace so kindly put it) were anxious due to the fact that today was their last day of classes.

One girl, however, was anxious at the mere anticipation of the end of class, where McGonagall would pass out the essays.

"Miss Shadron," Professor McGonagall addressed the dark-haired girl, frowning slightly as she handed her a roll of parchment. "A bit lacking in content."

Grace rolled her eyes and made a face as the professor turned towards Lily. "Ah Miss Evans," she said, her voice increasingly happier as she found Lily's essay and placed it upon her desk. "An assignment such as this deserves nothing less then Outstanding."

Lily smiled and let out a sigh of relief as she scanned over her paper.

"See Lily," said Julie, "I knew you'd get a perfect paper."

"Yeah," Grace put in, setting her own parchment aside, "how..."

"Absolutely brilliant, Mister Potter," Professor McGonagall praised, beaming at the boy. "The section on the Monitaur steps was impeccable. You must have spent _days_ on this."

"Have you heard about that new style of parchment?" Grace said loudly, trying desperately to distract Lily. "It's really very-"

"Well," James sighed modestly, "more or less."

"Oh yes," Julie added, practically yelling, "very nice, very, very nice..."

"Another Outstanding essay," she remarked, a rare smile appearing on her thin lips. "And a few extra points for that excellent concluding paragraph."

"Look, I'm a flying monkey," Grace said vainly, one last pitiful attempt to preoccupy Lily.

"Oh, you're much too kind," James said, grinning at Professor McGonagall, and as soon as she left, tilted his head towards Lily. He didn't have to say anything, however, the broad boastful grin said quite enough.

"I can't even think," Lily said, furiously slopping a cogere into their pot of a simmering blue potion. "He got more points than me! I swear, it's like everything's a big... _joke _to him, and then what do all of the teachers do? They _bow _to him, bow!"

"Yes it's all a great conspiracy," Grace agreed, nodding her head absently as she dipped a small container into the cauldron.

"Well it's just his area of expertise," Julie put in, wiping up the mess Lily was creating. "I'm positive if it were Charms you would've beat him hands down."

"He didn't spend days on it," she said spitefully, ignoring what both Julie and Grace had said. "_I_ spent days on it. He scribbled something down while cramming sandwiches in his mouth!"

"Here Lily," Grace said, ripping off a loose thread from her robes and stringing it through the top of a tiny vial. "Wear this."

"What is it?" Lily asked, momentarily taking a break from her rant on Potter.

"I've slipped a few drops of our freezing potion in it. Should feel nice in the hot and stuffy classrooms." She turned to Julie as Lily fastened it around her neck and added, "And maybe it'll cool down her temper."

"Where'd you get this?" she asked, fingering the handiwork with interest.

"Oh, I bought a set of randomly sized vials in Diagon Alley," she told Lily. The girl nodded and looked back down at the necklace. "I nicked it from Fluent's office," she muttered to Julie.

Julie laughed softly and brought her gaze away from Grace and up to Lily. "There, you see, you're not even thinking about-"

Julie cut off abruptly and clapped a hand to her mouth, but it was too late.

"And you know what else, he doesn't even..."

That night at dinner, the Marauders sat in the Great Hall after finishing off a full and delectable meal.

"Hey, where are all the Nector Nooks?" Sirius asked, looking up after his fingers scraped the empty plate.

"Sorry, took the last one," said Remus. Looking up at Sirius, who was currently looking at Remus's plate very sneakily, he added, "And don't you _dare_ get any ideas."

"But Remus," Sirius whined. "You _know_ Nicholas's Nector Nooks are my absolute _favor-_"

"No."

"Please," said Sirius, pouting. "Here, have some of my-"

"No."

"But look..." Sirius's eyes lit up and he gave an over enthusiastic smile. "There's some plum pudding! How about you-"

"No," Remus said, giving a frustrated sigh, "you can_not_ have my Nector Nook, Sirius."

"Can I?" James ventured.

"No!" Remus yelled. "Nobody can have my Nector Nook!"

"Fine," huffed James.

"You don't have to be so mean about it," Sirius muttered.

The two went back to their dinners reluctantly, as Sirius looked down at his pitiful pile of pudding.

"Stupid pudding," he mumbled softly.

"Hey, do you guys have any of that new dessert... Nicholas's Nector Nooks? We're all out on our end."

Sirius looked up to see Remus's unexpected victim.

Poor, poor Grace, he thought sadly, pitying the doomed girl. _She's so young, so innocent, and now she's going to have to face the wrath of the Nector Nook hoarding Remus. If only we could've warned-"_

"Oh, well no- no, I took the last one," Remus said, looking up at Grace and blushing ever so slightly.

"Oh, that's oka-"

"But you can have it if you want," Remus said quickly, holding up the sweet for her.

"Oh, thanks." Grace flashed him a smile, before turning around to re-join her friends.

Remus turned back around, only to come face to face with an astonished Sirius.

"_You.. gave... her... the... nooks..."_ Sirius said slowly, his face full of disbelief.

"So," Remus said, busying himself with scooping plum pudding onto his plate.

"_You.. gave... her... the... nooks..."_

"I don't see what the big deal-"

"How could you give her the nooks?!" Sirius exclaimed, clutching the sides of Remus's head dramatically. "How, Remus, how?!"

"I think the better question, my friend, is _why_," James put in, smiling coyly.

"What?" Remus and Sirius asked as one.

"Why did you give her the Nector Nook, Remus?" James asked, squinting his eyes with suspicion.

"I, I- don't like them.. that much," he answered lamely.

Sirius's eyes lit up and a grin appeared on his face. "Ah ha! Remus has a crush, Remus has a crush..."

"Shut _up_!" Remus hissed, blushing crimson. "I, I do not, and I don't have a clue what you're, well, I don't, I-"

Sirius's mouth dropped open. "You really do? Wow, I was just teasing ya mate."

"No," Remus said firmly. "I do _not _fancy her."

"Well," James began, sneaking a glance at Sirius, "we have one thing to say to that."

"Remus has a crush, Remus has a crush, Remus has a crush..."

After dinner was over, and much more teasing and taunting ensued, the boys made their way into the darkening corridors.

"Oh," James suddenly stopped. "Did you get next year's practice schedule from McGonagall?" he asked Sirius.

Sirius shook his head. "Nope."

"Okay, I'll go get it," he said, beginning to back-track down the hall. "I'll pick you up one too, Sirius."

He walked quickly on the winding path to Professor McGonagall's office, and only paused when he saw a familiar flash of red.

James turned the corner that led into the dungeons and was met by Lily Evans, who was currently staring at something with such intensity that it was almost frightening.

"What's wrong Evans?" James asked, walking over to Lily. "Finally take a peak in a mirror?"

For once Lily didn't retort back, but still stood gawking at the sight before her. James came closer to see what it was, and found she was looking into their Potions classroom. He looked over her shoulder to see what was so unusual, and was met by something he very much did not expect.

A strange creature was coiled on top of Professor Fluent's desk, surrounded by an icy blue liquid and broken glass. At first glance it appeared to be a snake, because of the long slender form and the way it lay coiled. It was far from an ordinary snake, though, because it seemed to have no head, and looked as if it was made of a glass-like metal. It was fairly big, taking up almost an entire desk with its coils.

"What _is_ that thing?" James asked.

Lily finally found her voice and said, "I... I don't know."

"Of course you don't," he said, sighing in mock sadness, "I don't know why I expected-"

"Fine, then what is it?" Lily said sharply, not tearing her eyes from the creature.

"Erm... well," James scratched his head. "Well how am I supposed to know?"

Rolling her eyes, she said, "It must be a challenge, but there's no specifying colors. I don't know which team is supposed to rid of it."

James looked back at the odd animal. "I'll bet this is for anyone; first come, first serve."

"I suppose," said Lily. "But, this creature looks very advanced..."

James turned to look at her. "Well, for young juveniles such as yourself, I'm sure the challenge would be much too hard. For me, however..."

"I could handle it," Lily interjected defensively. "I'm much more educated in comprehension and in intelligence, and I've read many more boo-"

James rolled his eyes. "Just _stop_."

"Well it must be for extra credit or something," Lily said, brushing off his last remark, "and my team needs it."

James nodded. "Sure does."

"Well," she said briskly, "aren't you going to go get your team, then?"

James began to nod. "Sure-" suddenly he narrowed his eyes and surveyed her suspiciously, "Why... aren't you?"

"Yes," Lily said, just as skeptical. "But as soon as I turn my back, you're going to try and gain all the extra points by yourself, aren't you?"

"Well how do I know you won't do the same thing?" James shot back.

"I won't," Lily said firmly, stomping a foot for extra emphasis.

The two foes stared at one other for a while longer, each unsure of what to do.

"Well I'm not going to take the chance," Lily finally broke the tense silence. She pulled out a DADA book and started leafing through the pages. "What in the world could it be..." she mumbled to herself, turning one page after the next. She frowned. "Well the only thing it slightly resembles is the Orbantatus, but that's veneficus-"

"What?" James interrupted suddenly. "Veneficus, are you sure?"

"Yes," Lily said impatiently. "It means magically poisonous, as in-"

"I _know_ what it means," James cut in. "But why would Professor Fides assign us something veneficus?"

James and Lily turned back towards the creature.

"Well its not exactly identical to the Orbantatus, that has gills and is a darker blue. Besides, Professor Fides must be close by, so nothing could happen," she finished with a little too much enthusiasm. Turning to James she smirked as she saw he was still staring hesitantly at the creature. "Why... you're not scared, are you?"

"No!" James exclaimed quickly, turning to glare at her. He'd like to think he was towering over the petite red-head, but as they were still only 13, her height just about matched his.

Lily cocked her head. "I think you are. Look, you're all jittery."

"I am not jittery," he proclaimed, crossing his arms defiantly. "No Potter has ever been afraid of such a trivial thing."

"There's a first time for everything," Lily said lightly, delighted at the agitation she was causing James. Usually it was the other way around.

"Well, while you're sitting there all scared and stuff," she began, as she turned back to her reference book.

"I'm _not_-"

"-I'm going to see what I've got to do to fight this thing," she continued, ignoring his angry protests.

Just as she flipped the page, James grabbed the book from her. "Okay, now how do I stop it..."

"Give that to me!" Lily said, snatching it back from James. "It's my book, if you're unprepared, that's your own fault."

"It doesn't matter, I don't need some dumb book anyway. Reading's for people that don't know what they're doing. _I _know what I'm doing, of course, but you however..."

"Oh shut up," Lily shot back. "I can't believe how much of a..."

Lily trailed off at James's sudden look of shock.

"Er... is it supposed to be doing that?"

Lily whipped around to face the creature, and found it had slithered down the leg of Professor Fluent's desk, vibrating at a dangerous rate.

"I don't think so," she gulped, her eyes wide as it came closer and closer to where they stood.

"So..." James turned to Lily, "what do we do?"

"Thought you knew everything," she said, smirking in spite of the situation. "I thought you didn't _need_ books and such."

"Would you shove it and grab the book?" he growled.

"Fine," she huffed, rolling her eyes and reaching a hand behind her to grab the book off the desk.

She froze, however, as her hands didn't feel the familiar stiffness of her hard textbook, but rather a slimy and icy...

"Ahh!!" she screamed, backing away from the creature. It had managed to vibrate across the room and onto the desk, right on top of her text book.

"Bloody Hell!" James cried, taking large steps away from the creature. "Now... please tell me you remember something from the book."

"I..." Lily racked her mind desperately. "Well, we don't even know if it's the Orbantatus..."

"Well this is just excellent," James said bitterly. He was about to continue when Lily gasped.

The creature had recoiled and then lunged towards the girl, fluctuating violently though the air and straight for her chest.

James reached out a foot and kicked Lily hard in the shins, causing them both to tumble to the ground. They both watched as the creature, missing its target, slapped onto the ground with a sickening sloshing noise.

"That _hurt_," she said angrily, clutching her leg.

"I just saved your-

He didn't have time to finish, because the creature had recovered and began to venture towards her again, this time vibrating with a newfound energy.

"Why is it doing this?" Lily shouted, as it made to leap for her again, this time missing by only a few inches. "Why is it only going for me?"

"I don't know... move!"

Lily lay flat on her back as the ice-like snake dived over her. "_Why_ is it attracted to me?!"

In any other circumstance James would've commented that he didn't know why anything would be attracted to her, but decided against it as the poisonous creature darted towards her once more.

Looking over at the frantically ducking and dodging girl, James noticed something.

"Where did you get that necklace?"

"Potter," she said angrily, "I highly doubt this is the time to discuss fashion!"

"No, what is it?" he said, following her as she scurried off the floor and began to dart across the classroom, the creature following closely behind. "It looks like-"

"It's the potion we made in class today," Lily said, a bit distracted as the creature encircled her feet.

James frowned. "You mean the Freezing Potion?"

"Yes," Lily replied, as she moved her feet in awkward positions, hopping every other second as the creature continued to slither around her. "What does that have to do with..."

"And that must've been our freezing potions beneath it," he mumbled anxiously to himself, "when we first came in. And then it ran out... it must need cold situations to thrive-"

"Ow!" Lily exclaimed, making harsh contact with the floor as the creature succeeded in intertwining and tripping her. Its long body quickly twisted around hers, and with wide eyes she looked upon the nearing creature, her breath becoming short and panicked as it drew within inches of her neck.

"Take off your necklace!" James shouted, leaping over to her.

Lily still lay paralyzed, either too shocked to move, or too tightly bound by the creature.

James ripped the loosely tied jewelry off of her neck, causing her to gasp slightly as it branded her skin. He threw the offending object across the room, and in an instant the creature redirected its path.

Both sat breathing heavily, as it pulsated across the room and gobbled up her necklace in one swift movement.

It seemed as if the potion soothed it for a moment, but as soon as the relief had come, it vanished and was replaced with a hunger for more.

"Should we get the professor?" Lily asked, her eyes following the creature's every movement. "I don't think there's anything else we can do..."

"It's blocking the doorway," he said, standing up. "And besides, I thought you wanted that extra credit."

"Well I do," she said, her indignant tone quickly replacing her terrified one. She looked around the room in search of something to help distract or destroy the object. "There's our potions!" She said suddenly, making her way to a high shelf of their freezing potions. "At least this will keep it distracted for now."

Lily stood on top of Professor Fluent's desk and reached for several vials of the blue liquid. She tossed some to James and together they threw at least a dozen bottles.

The creature emitted a sort of hissing noise of pleasure, as the glass broke around it and made a rather large pool of the misting substance.

"Here," James said, jumping up beside Lily. "Let's throw some mo-"

"Hold on," she said, grabbing his forearm. "Let's just wait until it's used all of this up, we don't want to run out immediately."

James reluctantly obliged, mostly unenthusiastic because it was Lily that had made the suggestion.

The two watched as the creature sucked up every last drop of the potion, until the fact that it had once littered the floor was highly doubtful. Just as James made to grab the rest of the vials, the creature made an odd deep grumble, the noise echoing throughout the dungeon.

"What the..." Lily started, but trailed off as the creature's body suddenly thickened and doubled to twice its size. She turned to James, frowning. "Good idea, Potter," she spat, "now look what you've done!"

James's mouth dropped open. "It was your idea!"

"This is no time to point fingers," she said, stepping off the desk. "Now, I've got to figure out what to do before this thing grows to the size of this room."

"This is no time to point fingers," James mimicked angrily, hopping off behind her.

"Okay, so... maybe I could use the Mesin spell," she said, stepping cautiously towards the creature. James was right behind her, and as the creature grew desperate for more, it began its journey across the room.

Everyone kept trooping in the same direction and in a several moments all that resulted was the creature had replaced Lily and James's positions on the desk, and the aforementioned now stood by the doorway.

"Alright," she said, taking out her wand, "I'm going to try it."

"No," James said, taking out his own. "I want to defeat it. I deserve the points because _I_ did most of the work."

"Sure," she said sarcastically. "I'm going to take over, thank you very much."

"Not if I can get to it first," James said quickly, and in a moment the two had brandished their wands, each fighting for the predicted glory.

"Move," James demanded, as Lily stepped in front of him.

"No," she said, opening her mouth to deliver the spell.

James shoved in front of her and clumsily shouted the spell, as she elbowed him in the side.

"Look what you made me do!" he exclaimed, as the red jet of light hit far above the desk. "What a waste of..."

James trailed off as he realized what his spell had hit. The impact of it had caused the shelves to crack and, of course, the vials of potions to come tumbling with it.

"Oh my..." Lily uttered, as the freezing potions showered on the delighted creature. In a flash it grew ten times its already doubled size, causing the desk to wan and collapse under the weight.

"Okay, problem," James said, as the low grumbling noise occurred again, this time so loud it echoed across the dungeon.

"This is what happens when _you try magic_," she said through gritted teeth, clutching her wand as if it would protect her.

"Hey, you're the one who shoved me!" he exclaimed.

"Potter," she admonished. "This is no time to fight! Now, I don't know which exact spell to use, so I'm just going to do what I'm best at."

"You're going to do nothing?"

Lily ignored him, flipping open her bag and retrieving her Charms book. Rifling though it she stopped at several pages, and finally coming to a decision, shut it and took a step towards the creature.

"No way!" James said, hurrying beside her. "You're _not_ going to get all of the extra credit."

Paying no heed to his protests, Lily angled herself in a position that would best corner the creature without coming too close, and raised her wand.

"_Delaen Duco_!"

James felt a soar of pride as his spell hit the creature. Next to him Lily let out a noise of anger, but continued with her charm nonetheless.

"_Capio_!"

The two stood over the now glowing creature, anticipating the outcome of their combined spells.

The offending creature had been in a slow motion pulsate, due to its increased size, but as soon as the spells had hit it, it froze, rigid and certainly immobile.

"_What_ is going on?"

Lily and James turned around, jolted by the sudden voice. Professor Fluent's appalled and shocked expression stared back at them, his face trembling with anger.

"What is going on," he repeated, his words cool and menacing. His eyes left the childrens', and he looked around the dungeon in disbelief. Parchments, ink, and quills lay strewn about his broken desk; glass from the broken vials was scattered across the floor; desks were shifted and broken, and chairs were toppled.

"It was a challenge," James explained, brushing off some potion that had splashed upon his robes. "Professor Fides should be here any moment."

Professor Fluent brought his furious gaze up to James, and then Lily, before letting out a scowl and turning to stomp out the door in an obvious and infuriated search for Professor Fides.

James and Lily stood staring at the creature wearily, their wands ready if it decided to come to life once more.

"You're so lucky I was here," James said, his eyes not leaving the creature.

"Right," Lily spat, "because I would've _never_ made it through without you."

"Hey, you wouldn't have lasted two seconds," he said, "remember how I dashed in front of you and protected you from the creature?"

"You kicked me in the shins and tripped over your own feet," she replied coolly. "If that's what you call protecting me..."

"You're impossible," James muttered, just as Professor Fluent swept into the room, Professor Fides at his heals.

"There, you see," the livid Potions professor said, pointing a finger at the disheveled classroom.

Professor Fides eyes were wide as he inspected the scene before him. "What.. why... how did this _get_ in here?"

"It's a challenge, isn't it?" James said, "Well just let you know, I did most of the work, and should therefore get most, if not all, of the credit."

"A challenge," Professor Fluent pronounced, "a challenge! One of your frivolous... _games_ has ruined my classroom, Fides!"

"He did not!" Lily exclaimed, looking over at James furiously. "If anyone should get credit around here, it should be me!"

"I can assure you, this wasn't one of my challenges," Professor Fides said, glancing around the room in astonishment.

"Right," James said, laughing ruefully. "You did all that work while you were squealing on the floor like a little baby."

"Of course you won't take the responsibility for this," Professor Fluent snapped. "Who's going to clean it up then?"

"I was _not_ squealing!"

"It will be taken care of immediately," Professor Fides said dismissevely, walking towards the quarreling children in awe.

"Yes you were, you were squealing and you-"

"Fluent, this wasn't a challenge," Professor Fides said. "Of that I am certain."

Lily and James paused in their argument and whipped towards the teacher.

"It wasn't a challenge?" Lily admonished. "It was a real... thing?"

James frowned. "Does this mean we don't get extra credit?"

"Points will be awarded," he said, brandishing his own wand and further instilling their safety. "This is an incredibly rare species," he said, looking over it with immense interest. "It's looks as if it's a Richter, which in itself is harmless, but some sort of fallen vial must've increased its danger rate. Do you own any Spollege, Fluent?"

Professor Fluent nodded grimly, and looking over to his cabinet they witnessed a large toppled vial of a thick orange substance.

"Well that solves it then," Professor Fides said, turning back to face Lily and James. "I must say, you two make an incredible team. It's as if you were made for each other!"

"Ludicrous!" James exclaimed.

Lily made a grotesque face. "Dis_gus_ting!"

Barely surviving the angry children's death glares, Professor Fides eventually assigned them points and sent them on their quarreling way.

"I'll leave you with a last, 'you're welcome,'" James said, bowing mockingly to Lily as they approached the common room.

"You didn't do anything," she grumbled, turning towards her staircase.

"Yes I did," he grinned, "and I'll keep reminding you of it until you accept it."

"The year's almost over," she replied, irritated, "at least I won't have to endure it for that long."

"Oh don't worry," he said, turning to his own dormitory. "I'll remind you next year, and the next year, and the next year..."

A/N: Gah! The never ending chapter has ended. Sorry if it's abrupt, but that's the end of third year. It's just the whole, 'they waved goodbye and the train roared to a stop at the station' was getting tiring. Oh, and very sorry about the lame names. Nicholas's Nector Nooks? Don't ask me. And do they even have plum pudding? ::sigh:: I'm tired. Erm... like I said before, please don't hate me : )

Espergirl04- Hehe, I love him too : ) Don't doubt yourself, m'dear. Thanks for the review, and have fun on your trip!

FreckledIrishMaiden- She is too obsessed, but remember, it was for her _pride_, not her grades : )

EW4eva- Thanks for the review, oh yes, I wonder....

**Misty Cherry**- I'm glad you liked it so much, sorry about the SBFC!

Gaby-Malfoy- Yup, I adore long reviews too! Eek.. hope you're not angry about Remus ; ) Thanks for the review!

Ieyre- Oh, you flatter me ; )

Ninde Annare- Thanks bunches, I've very glad you enjoyed ; )

Ginny05- Thanks for the review, I'm glad it's different, and I'm glad you like it!

DeepThought3900- Wow, thanks! I'm glad you like it so much, I hope you enjoy the rest ; )

Oksana- Sure thing, thanks for the review!

Aerandir- I'm happy you enjoyed it, thanks for the review : )

Evil Scratching Post- Glad you liked it! Okay, so if you don't mind me asking, what's the name mean? Is it just something random, or... well it's pretty awesome either way!

MidnightPrincess- Oh oh, so did it meet your expectations? Who did you think would get the better grade in the end? Well, since you've mentioned a couple times that you like the boys better, I'm going to take a guess and say you liked the outcome : )

Windowseat Wonderer- Hehe, thanks for the long review, I'm glad you liked it! It's okay if you were a little psycho due to a long dance class, been there, done that. You're bear's named Boo Boo? Awesome!

Jess- Lol, thanks bunches for the review, I'm glad you imagine her the same way : )

Lanette- No worries, she'll loosen up a bit. Maybe. J/k, she will.... thanks for the review!

MelissaMoony- Hehe, your review was entertaining, thanks mucho!

Hermione1989- Thanks for the reviews : ) I tried to update ASAP

FairyPrincess13- It's short in comparison to this bugger. Thanks for the review!

dance-flirt- Ay no, you're much too kind, madear! You're review was absolutely excellent, and even though you can't be a hard-core fan from the beginning, you can be a hard-core fan from the middle! Hehehe, you hope yours it the longest... ay yi yi, erm... so there was this string that walked into the bar....

Fifth-Marauder's-Daughter- Thanks for the review! I hope you participate in the boxer hunt! : )

Dulcis- Nah, the person's not _that_ great. Don't get your hopes up or anything.

dracapotter12- Ack, no, there _is_ an essay! Hehe, I tried to e-mail you , but it wouldn't let me. I put your response on top, just in case anyone else was confused.

Hermionette- Wow, thanks a lot for the incredible review! I already e-mailed you about the POV thing, I hope you got it : )

MilesFromNormal- Lol, I hope you got some food... hehe, yes James is evil to Lily, doesn't he know he'll have to pay for it dearly in the future? ::sigh:: thanks for the review!

Sun Kissed Rose- Hello! is the author of brotherhood Haii? Because you talk about them both, so I was just wondering : ) Thanks for the review!

Silverpheonix2- Ah yes, because Alas, Lily is Lily and if she wasn't then she'd be... well she wouldn't be Lily : ) Thanks for the review!

dreamlessnights- I'm glad you liked that part, and why was he reading it upside down.. hmm.... thanks for the review!

Molly- I think I shall do as you suggested for the SBFC, oh btw, you're so close, it's scary. : Thanks for the review!

Icychic77- Wow! That was a really awesome review, thanks soo much : ) Oh, and about Regulas, he'll show up more in fourth year. Thanks again!

Manny2003- Thanks for the review!

Suji- Okie doke, all those things sound like the makings of a perfect cheer! Gah.. a tune? How about Respect by Aretha Franklyn (sp?) Hehehe. Thanks for the review, oh, I'm really glad you like Grace. I've grown rather fond of her too : ) Good luck, if you need any help with the cheer, drop an IM!

Luna Gypsy- Oh good, I'm glad my characters aren't OOC because I worry about the sometimes. Thanks for the review!

Vanima Failiss- Okay, here's MORE.


	28. A Muddled Up Stew of Events

Standing There By You

Ch. 28- A Muddled Up Stew of Events

Disclaimer: Let it be known... I hereby declare that by legal binding matters, any recognizable material belongs to the **_famous_** J.K.Rowling. (I don't own dear ol' Bette either)

A/N: Not too much teasing and taunting, more in later chapters, I promise : )

:Ahem: Special message to beta at the bottom.

James grinned.

He was a grinning thirteen year old boy for many reasons.

One of these reasons being, he was only going to be a grinning thirteen year old boy for another fifteen hours, twenty-two minutes, and thirty-eight seconds... Approximately.

The other reason was his fellow Marauders were arriving the next morning to spend the day in Godric's Hollow to celebrate this occasion.

That is why James grinned. Until...

"James!" his mother's voice rang up the stair-case. The boy set aside the letter Sirius had sent him informing him he could come, and started down the hallway.

James paused to think as he lingered above the stairs. His mother sounded very hurried to him, very hurried indeed. "James?" Mrs. Potter's called again. Giving an affirmative nod, he decided desperate times called for desperate measures, and positioned himself on the ornate wooden fixture.

Mrs. Potter frowned as her son came gliding down their large and ancient banister, only to land on the floor with a graceful thud.

Her frown increased when her husband started laughing.

"You're going to get hurt one of these days," she scolded, shooting her husband a death glare in the process. The glare, although quite frightening, didn't phase him.

"I seem to remember _you_ sliding down that very same banister when we first moved in," Mr. Potter said, smiling reminiscently. His smile changed into a miraculous cough, however, as his wife reached up a hand and pinched the top of his ear. "Never mind," he coughed, "no banister sliding, none at all."

James laughed at his father's expression and took a seat on the stair-case. "You called?"

Mrs. Potter's face softened as she looked over at her son. "Well, sweetie..." She paused and looked over at her husband, nudging his shoulder. "You tell him," she whispered.

Mr. Potter looked over at her with wide eyes. "I'm not gonna tell him," he said, leaning in towards his wife. "It's _your_ client."

"It's not a client," she hissed, but her husband held up his hands nevertheless.

"Who's not a client?" James asked, lazily playing with the band of his sock.

Mrs. Potter sighed. "There's been an emergency dear, at work, and someone needs to be there."

James frowned. "But you haven't worked for ages."

"Yes I have," she said, "I work several times a week while you're away at school, but now there's this very important person-"

"Client," James put in dryly.

"Client," Mrs. Potter corrected herself, but not before looking over at her husband and scowling. "Well I'm sorry sweetie but since your father won't be home either, you're just going to have to reschedule your little get-together."

James's mouth dropped open. "But- but, Sirius, you know Sirius has a hard time getting his parents to let him come, and Remus, he can only come... certain times, and-"

"Well I know that, but we promise we'll make it up to you, any other day..."

James looked sullen for a few moments, but then his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Uh-oh," Mr. Potter muttered silently. He knew that glint.

"Well they can still come over," James said anxiously, "we don't need you here mum, I'll be _fourteen_, you know."

Mrs. Potter's eyes widened. "Oh I don't know... four of you boys in the house without any supervision..." she gulped, and the never-ending horrific scenes that indisputably flashed though her mind were practically visible.

"Well, I don't see why not," his father said, smiling at James.

"David," she said sharply, looking at Mr. Potter meaningfully, "I don't think-"

"Mum," James said, putting on wide, innocent eyes and a slight tremble of the lips. "It's my _birthday_."

If humans could melt, Mrs. Potter would've been a hopeless puddle on the hard wood floor. She let out a deep sigh and ruffled her son's hair endearingly. "Well, I suppose it'll be alright," she said, looking as if she'd regret her words later.

"Great!" James said, practically jumping up the stair-case. "This is _excellent_; I can't wait to tell Sirius."

Mrs. Potter let out a slight whimper as she stared after her overjoyed son. "What have I done..."

"What do _you_ want?"

Grace and Julie took a step away from the crude welcoming girl. "Er... sorry," Grace said, readjusting her hold on her luggage as she stepped away from the house, "we thought this was the Evans'."

"Who are you?" the girl asked, crossing her arms.

"Um..." the two girls looked at one another wearily, before turning back to the girl. Julie shook her head. "Wrong house, sorry."

The girl stared at them through narrowed eyes, watching them walk off with a scowl.

"Petunia you're absolutely horrible." Grace and Julie turned around quickly, grateful to hear a familiar voice.

"Lily!" Grace called, as she and Julie hurried back up the walk. The angry girl at the doorway gave one last scowl before disappearing back into the house.

"Hello," she greeted happily, smiling as she helped carry their things. They trooped into her house and upstairs to Lily's room, after a quick introduction of her parents.

"Wait..." Grace said, turning around to look at Lily incredulously, once they had reached the warm and comfortable room. "Was that girl-"

"Dear old Petunia," Lily said spitefully. Grace and Julie glanced at her sympathetically.

"She's worse than I imagined," Julie said sadly.

"You haven't seen anything," Lily said, plopping onto her plush blue comforter. A small smile crept onto her face. "Want to learn more about her? Read this."

She retrieved a small red book from behind her pillow, and tossed it to her friends. Winking at Julie, she asked, "Remember this?"

Julie smiled back, and looked over the book with interest. She and Grace were soon in hysterics, as they flipped through the pages of threats and empty promises.

"I can't believe Petunia actually believed this," Grace mused, as she read a particularly humorous entry.

"I know, she..." Lily's eyes widened and she cut off mid-sentence.

Grace and Julie turned around to see what she was staring at, and found her sister standing at the doorway.

"What do you want, Petunia?" Lily asked, quickly shoving the book behind her.

"Mum says dinner's ready... what are you doing?"

Lily turned to look at Julie and Grace in what she hoped was an innocent fashion. "Nothing," she said, "just catching up."

"I heard my name," Petunia scoffed, taking a step inside the room. "What were you talking about?"

"Flowers," Julie said quickly. "Our favorite types of flowers."

Petunia narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Sure you were," she said sarcastically. In an instant her suspicious face turned to that of nonchalant. "Whatever. Mum and dad are waiting."

Lily let out a sigh of relief and looked at Grace and Julie with a small smile. "Well, c'mon then," she said, heading towards the hallway, her friends following close behind. Just as they got out the door, however, Petunia swiftly twisted around and raced back in.

"No!" Lily shouted, as Petunia dove for the red book.

Petunia, being older and much taller than Lily, held the book out of her reach as she opened to the first page.

Lily watched in horror as her sister's face became increasingly shocked upon reading each entry, until finally she threw the book down in an outrage. "You can't do magic!" she exclaimed, her pointed noise flaring with anger. "You've been making a _fool_ of me this entire time?

"Oh goodness," Julie said softly, as Petunia loomed dangerously over Lily.

"Well not anymore," she proclaimed. "You're going to be so miserable you won't even know..."

"What do we do?" Julie asked Grace anxiously. "She's going to kill her!"

Grace shrugged. "We're witches. What else would we do?"

"Now Petunia," Lily said, backing away from her fuming sister. "Please don't be mad... I was only-"

"You were only _what_?" Petunia snapped, taking a step closer to her. "You were only-" She froze abruptly, her eyes widening. "Y-you can't... you can't do m-magic here..."

"No fireworks."

"Wouldn't _dream_ of it."

"No quidditch in the house."

"Didn't even cross my mind."

"No pranking and/or pranking materials of any sort."

"Pranks? Me? Mum, you must be joking."

Mrs. Potter heaved a sigh as she stood before her much-too-innocent son. "What time are the boys coming?" she asked, turning to gather her cloak.

"Should be here any minute," James said gleefully, hopping onto the counter.

Mrs. Potter crossed her arms. "Well, just make sure-"

"Happy Birthday!"

Mrs. Potter was cut off as a celebrating Sirius came bounding from the living room, covered from head to toe in soot.

"Hello Sirius," Mrs. Potter greeted, as she wearily watched the two boys greet; each donned matching grins.

"Well, have fun at work mum," James said, practically pushing his mother out the door.

"Oh no, no we still have to go over the rules with Sirius and-"

"I'll tell him, don't worry," James assured her. "Now, you're going to be late, go on, bye!"

Mrs. Potter looked at the grinning boys (the grins now looked foreboding rather than innocent) and emitted a meek sound. "Okay, well... behave..."

James and Sirius waved jubilantly as the shut the door with a snap.

Sirius shook his head. "It's as if she doesn't trust us, or something."

"Obliviate," Grace shouted lazily, her wand pointed directly at Petunia's head. She smiled as a hazy and confused look came over the elder girl. "There. That's taken care of."

"Grace!" Lily shrieked, clutching the girl's wand and throwing it onto her bed. She quickly shoved her bewildered sister out of the room and slammed the door. Turning back to Grace, she shouted, "You're going to be expelled! _We're_ going to be expelled! We're going to go to Azkaban!"

"No we're not," Grace said carelessly, sinking comfortably onto Lily's bed. "Relax."

Julie gave her a dubious look as she sat down next to her. "How do you know? I thought it was illegal."

"Oh my gosh... Oh my gosh... Oh my gosh..." Lily said repeatedly, pacing her room in hysterics.

"Nah," Grace shook her head. "My aunt works for the Ministry. I've asked her, and she's said- Lily, _calm_ down!"

"No, no I cannot calm down," she said frantically, as she tread her room in circles, "we're going to go to Azkaban forever and ever and ever and ever-"

"If anyone'd go to Azkaban it'd be me," Grace said logically. "I mean, you didn't even touch a wand."

"Ever heard of _guilty by association_?" she asked, practically pulling her red locks out from frustration. She turned away from Grace and turned to continue her pace. "Oh my gosh... Oh my gosh... Oh my gosh..."

"Lily, trust me," Grace said, trying to comfort the hysterical girl. "My aunt said that even though it's not allowed, the very most you'll receive when doing magic out of school- for the first time- is a w-"

"Do you see something?" Lily said, scrambling towards the window. "Do you guys see that? It's an owl! It's an owl! Do you know what owls do!"

"No," Julie answered with mock seriousness.

"They deliver letters! Oh, they've already found out," she said, biting hard on her lip, "and now we're all going to get in _so_ much trouble."

"Argh, Lily!" Grace said, grabbing the girl by her shoulders. "Listen to me. Nothing-"

"Oh I can't look," Lily said somberly, cradling her head with her hands as the owl approached her open window. "Someone else look for me."

Grace sighed and reached for the letter; she gave Lily an exasperated look before opening the small scroll.

A very sudden change in expression came over the girl, as she read over the letter. Her face paled considerably, as she clapped a hand to her mouth and made a strangled gasping noise.

"Oh my gosh," she breathed, tearing her eyes away from the letter and looking up at Lily. "I can't believe this..."

"Oh _no_," Lily said, expected devastation etched into her features. "W-what's it say?"

Grace gave a trembling gulp before roughly clearing her throat and reading aloud the letter.

"Decree of 1875... Paragraph C... Expulsion is a-"

A loud thump was heard and Grace and Julie turned to see a limp Lily.

"Uh oh..." Grace said, trying to hide a smile, "she's going to kill me when she finds out it was just a warning."

Over at the Potter Manor, four creatures of the wild roamed heedlessly throughout the house, leaving terror and trouble in their wake.

"Muhahahaha!"

"Don't do that Sirius, it's creepy."

Sirius cleared his throat and nodded to James. "Sorry mate. So what do you wanna do?"

"I dunno," said James, "but I'm hungry. You lot want to get some lunch?"

Remus and Peter looked up from their game of exploding snap and nodded, and the four boys trooped into the kitchen.

James looked through the cupboards and found the lunch his mother had left for him. "Turkey sandwiches," he informed them.

Sirius looked over at the lunch. "Hmm... seems a little drab to me, don't you think?"

James nodded in agreement. "Very drab."

"Well, let's make something more creative then!"

Remus looked up at Sirius. "Have you ever cooked anything?"

"Well sure," Sirius said, tapping his finger on the counter. "Erm... Well I dunno, there was probably a piece of toast along the way or something. Now c'mon, I'm sure it'll be easy."

"Probably," Remus nodded. "Well, what are we going to make?"

"I personally like stew," Peter put in hungrily.

"Well," James said, clambering and clanking his way through the pot pantry, "here's one."

Sirius looked over the pot and frowned. "Too small."

James nodded and disappeared back into the cupboard. He stood up a little while later, empty handed. "We don't have any pots that'll be big enough," he informed them.

"Well," Sirius said, tapping his chin. "How about a cauldron?"

"Oh of course," James said, and scrambled to another cabinet. "Here we go."

"Perfect!" Sirius exclaimed. "Now, anybody know what goes in stew?"

The boys were silent for a moment, until Peter spoke up. "My mum usually puts in a bunch of different things..."

James shrugged. "Well, we've got some leftover gravy."

"That sounds good," Sirius nodded, as James poured the thick substance in. "What else have you got?"

"Hmm..." James said, rifling though the pantry. "Lasagna?"

The three boys looked at one another, then nodded. "Lasagna's good."

"Shrimp!" Sirius yelled, pouring a bowl of the tiny pink fish into the cauldron.

Remus grinned and opened up a container. "Olives, green _and_ black.

"Cheese," Peter said, sorting through the cupboards. "Do you have any cheese?"

"Mmm... ice cream," James said, scooping large amounts into the pot.

"Well then you've got to have chocolate syrup," Sirius said, unscrewing the bottle and squeezing it in.

"And nuts," Remus put in, sprinkling in a variety of peanuts.

"Flour," James said, showering the white powder into the pot. "Everything mum makes has flour in it."

"Don't forget the pineapples!"

"Okay," Sirius said, looking into the cauldron. "Think that's enough?"

"Looks a bit dry," James said. "Here, pour some butterbeer in."

Sirius did so, shaking out the last drop with flourish. "Finished!"

Remus looked over at the 'stew' and wrinkled his nose. "Is it supposed to smell like that?"

"What?" Sirius asked, cocking his head. "You think we should add some Nector Nooks?"

Remus scoffed, backing away from the brew as a faint pink appeared on his cheeks. "No, no, it's good."

"Okay, now all we've got to do is cook it," Sirius said, looking over at James, and then back at the large cauldron. "Er... it's not going to fit in the oven, is it?"

James shook his head. "But it's pretty warm outside," he said, "the sun will probably bake it."

His friends nodded and each grabbed a part of the cauldron. They heaved it out the door and onto a bright patch of grass, setting it down abruptly, and causing the insides to slosh around.

"Fantastic," Sirius said, wiping his hands on his pants. "Now all we've got to do is wait."

The boys stretched out on the warm grass, lazily looking up at the clouds as they waited for their stew to simmer.

"So Remus, I was thinking," Sirius said, rolling over on his side to face the sandy-haired boy, "and I personally think it'd be best if you thought out your whole pick-up operation thoroughly before actually diving into it."

Remus waited a few seconds before turning to face Sirius and scrunching up his face. "What?"

"You know, when you go to ask out Grace."

"I'm _not_-"

"Sure you are, mate," Sirius said, rolling back into his former position. "But I'm having a bit of a problem. What do you think James, the angel line or Tennessee?"

"No, you're not listening to me-"

"Definitely the former," James supplied his opinion from the other side of Remus. "Tennessee isn't quite right for the occasion."

Seeing he wasn't going to get anywhere with protests alone, Remus decided upon another route. "I think the stew's done!"

The boys hastily scrambled up and stood over the mass of food. James frowned. "How are we supposed to know it's done?"

"Well," Sirius said, tilting his head, "that part seems to be gurgling, or something. I think that means it's ready."

The three other boys nodded in agreement and after quickly retrieving spoons for the kitchen, they all dived in at once. Each scooped up a large amount onto their spoons, and took a large bite.

The large bites were strewn back into the cauldron immediately after entering their mouths.

The four boys looked into the cauldron with equal expressions of appalling disgust, before James finally spoke up.

"Turkey sandwiches, then?"

A/N: Thanks for reading! And an even bigger thanks to these incredible people...

Purplereader- hehe, first off, _love_ the name ; ) Remus has a... what? Sorry, it wasn't quite clear.

Ninde Annare- Thanks, I'm glad you liked the sweet scene ; )

Windowseat Wonderer- I hope you have fun on vacation! I'm going in a week, so I'll comply with as many chaps as possible, and you will with reviews, right? ; ) Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked the ending!

EW4eva- You should know by now that I don't answer your questions... thanks for the review!

Luna Gypsy- I don't care if you've said it once, said it twice, it's _always_ nice to hear! Thanks bunches : )

Vanima Failiss- Lol, I'm glad you liked it, thanks mucho ; )

Romulan Empress- Ah Star Trek, I know nothing of that but it sounds interesting nonetheless. Sorry you don't like the Remus/Grace thing, but hopefully you'll adapt ; ) Thanks for the review!

Hermione1989- Glad you liked it, thanks for the review!

Espergirl04- Yup, you were right.. hope you have fun on your vacation!

Nicole- I'm very glad ; )

Molly- Thanks as always, and as I've already informed you, hehe, it's taken care of : ) thanks for the review!

Jess- I don't know... what _is_ going to happen? Thanks for the review!

Lanette- They're bickering until at least fifth year (according to OotP) so they're not going to settle down for quite awhile ; ) I'm glad you liked it, thanks for the review!

MelissaMoony- Hehe, glad you liked it! Phew... you still love me ; )

Jounin-Elite- I'm sorry you're said, here's another chapter! (Nerds rock)

Ieyre- Oh I know... poor Lily. And yes, yes he does ; )

Krissygurl- I'm glad you think that! Thanks a lot, and thanks for the review!

tknp-gal4- I know, I'm still in denial ; ) I'm glad you liked it, and no worries, I will definitely be finishing it.

Siriuslyfun19212- I'm glad you liked them, thanks for the review!

Gaby-Malfoy- Hola! Well I'm happy you're not mad.. and perhaps I can persway you that things will work out better this way : ) We'll just have to wait and find out, now won't we... thanks for the review!

MilesFromNormal- Lol, I'm glad you liked it! Thanks mucho for the review ; )

Aerandir- I'm trying to update as much as possible, thanks for the review!

Oksana- Hehe, glad you liked it ; ) Harvard? That's spiffing!

Dance-flirt- I'm glad you liked it, thanks for the review! Oh, and we already talked about most of the review, so... I'm not going to go there ; )

Imperishable Stars- Hehe, glad you liked it, poor, poor Lily... : ) (that was an evil grin)

FreckledIrishMaiden- Hormones? You'd better believe it... : ) Thanks for the review!

MidnightPrincess- Lol, well, at least you're honest : ) Thanks for the review!

Misty Cherry- Yay, what a lucky number ; ) Thanks muchos for the long review!

Oliverwoodschic- I'm glad you enjoyed that part, thanks bunches for the review ; )

Charmed4ever- Oh my gosh. I feel like the biggest dolt in the world... I contemplated telling you I had that disclaimer written before JKR became famous, but somehow I doubted you'd believe that. Lol, well anyway, thanks for the really fantastic review, it made my day wonderful! (I changed the disclaimer. It's more accurate now, I think.)

FadingSlowly- Thanks for the fantastic review! Hehe.. you're not the only one that can't wait for James to fall for Lily ; )

Suji- Padfoot. Definitely. Tease him? _Never_. : ) Thanks for the review!

Alwaysremember- I'm glad you liked it... I was just afraid because some people were hoping for Sirius/Grace. Thanks for the review!

May- It's alright you didn't review, thanks for this one, though!

Coolkitten2888- Thanks for the review, glad you liked it ; )

**_Luv ya Beta!_**


	29. Laughter, the Best Medicine

Standing There By You

Ch. 29- Laughter, the Best Medicine

Disclaimer: Let it be known... it's still not mine.

A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but I'm going crazy because:

a) I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow and I still haven't packed,

b) Since I'm going to be gone for a week I am (trying) to have another chap all typed and uploaded so my beta can submit it for me around Wednesday,

c) I'm worried what beta is going to write in the review responses ; )

:Sniff: I'll miss you...

Sirius stumbled to the right, a little to the left, and then staggered into the doorway. Cursing the door with words not appropriate for innocent ears, he rubbed his forehead and winced at the undoubtable rising mark. Spreading his hands out for balance, he took a few more uneven steps forward and grasped onto the cart.

"Train must be going through a rough patch," he thought grumpily, as he dug into his change pouch for a few sickles.

A plump lady accepted his money in exchange for a Pumpkin Pasty, and whistled a harmonious tune as she set off down the aisle.

"Thank you," Sirius said mostly to himself, seeing as the lady-that-pushed-the-cart (he made a mental note to suggest name tags) was already half-way down the train. He planted a foot firmly on the ground to confirm his balance, and set off back to his compartment.

Unfortunately, a twisted little bugger got in his way.

"Look who it is," a rather unsightly boy with short brown hair sneered. Two figures beside him laughed.

Scratch that. Twisted little bugger**_s_** that had grotesque faces and spines that were showing significant signs of pre-hunch backs.

Sirius scoffed at the third years and made to push past them. A rather large one (that would probably still live with his mum until he was fifty) stepped in front of him. "What, don't you want to be introduced to your brother's buddies?" the boy asked, smiling a cold smile at Sirius. "Go on Regulus, introduce us."

Sirius shifted uncomfortably. Why wasn't he sneering back? Why wouldn't he just give some quirky comeback and push past them? He was surely strong enough, what with his quidditch toned arms-

"No, I don't think so," his brother said, crossing his arms with an air of superiority. "At home we've found it most effective just to ignore the good for nothing prat. You should've seen his face when my parents-"

"Regulus," Sirius said sharply, his pumpkin pasty crushing under the pressure of his tight grip.

"Hey, I forgot to tell you to get me a chocolate frog," James said, stepping out of a nearby compartment. "Did she already... what's going on?"

"See," Regulus said, ignoring James as a cold smile spanned across his face, "whenever my parents and I ignore his very existence he always gets all frustrated and goes all red in the face." He smirked at his brother's angry face.

"Regulus," Sirius repeated, this time more forcibly.

Regulus and the two other boys walked off as they chortled away, entering their own compartment and leaving Sirius and James by themselves. Sirius glared after the path his brother had taken, breathing heavily as he watched them disappear near the end of the train.

He crossed his arms and turned towards James uncomfortably, the frown on his face foreign compared to his usual grin. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair, before nodding slightly and turning back to re-enter their compartment. James followed suit, but just as he was about to go in, stopped him. Sirius froze before the doorway, his hand dangling just above the handle.

"Sirius, are you, I mean.." James began uneasily. "If you wanna, you know-,"

Sirius made a face and shook his head, his frown still evident. "Alright," James said, returning his nod. Sirius opened the door and the two boys stepped into the compartment.

James witnessed the miraculous change incredulously.

The deep frown that had seemed permanently etched into Sirius's face transformed into his usually cheeky grin and his eyes opened wide with undiscovered laughter, as soon as he stepped foot into the compartment.

"I've got the best joke to tell you..." Sirius said, looking around his friends as he plopped onto the seat and stretched his legs to rest on the sill of the window.

James watched Sirius's sudden change of demeanor in wonder, confused as to how he could've switched attitudes so quickly. Only two seconds ago in the aisle, he had been dreadfully perturbed.

He realized Sirius had reached the punch line from the expectant look he always wore when finishing a joke, and although still thoroughly bewildered, he did the only thing a best friend could do. He laughed.

The incident in the hallway wasn't brought up again; the rest of the train ride was spent trading jokes, and was therefore a very amusing trip indeed. In fact, one joke in particular was so hilarious that it had the boys rolling around the ground in laughter, oblivious to all of their surroundings.

As Grace walked past the compartment, her eyes caught sight of the very amusing scene, one of which included the Marauders laughing insanely and pounding their fists on the floor.

She pushed open the door cautiously; you never did know what to expect when the situation involved the Marauders. She viewed the compartment with interest, and although Sirius's jokes could be funny, she highly doubted their insane laughter was due to the hilarity of the punch-line, but rather the amount of sugar they had recently inhaled. The compartment was lined with more wrappers than she could count, and even more packages of goodies lay strewn about in every which direction.

She cleared her throat and crossed her arms, grinning widely when all four boys jumped. "Oh, hi Grace," Sirius greeted, propping himself up with his elbows. Beside him James and Peter did along the same line of things, but Remus hastily scrambled to his seat, smoothing his hair that had been rumpled up on the ground.

He shot Sirius and James a death glare as they nudged one another and made several furtive glances between Grace and Remus.

"Hello," she responded, smiling at the group. "I just thought you'd like to know we're only fifteen minutes away, so you should probably get changed into your school-robes."

"Thanks," James and Sirius said, sitting up from their laid-back positions. Grace nodded and her gaze lingered across the compartment.

"Hello Remus," she said, and her brows furrowed in concern as her eyes settled on the rather frightened looking boy. "Is there something the matter?"

Remus just shrugged and made a slight movement with his head, which Grace assumed to be a no. "Oh, alright then," she said, her smile reappearing. "So how was your summer?"

Remus stared at her blankly for several seconds, before jerking his head as if just realizing she was talking to him. He made several odd movements with his mouth before muttering the ingenious word, "Yes."

Grace blinked at the unexpected response, and frowned with a confused expression. "Um... that's," she wrinkled her nose and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, still staring at him curiously. Suddenly she let out a snort and shook her head. "You're cute."

With one last wave she disappeared out of the compartment, shutting the door behind her with a soft click. Remus sunk low in his seat, mumbling furiously to himself.

"Yes?" he grumbled, "yes? Of all the words I could've used. Okay, fine, well, alright-"

"Don't forget peachy," Sirius put in merrily.

"Oh, or corking," Peter added.

James looked thoughtful. "Dandy's a good one too."

Remus ignored his friends and sunk lower into his seat. "I am such an idiot."

Sirius stood up beside him and put a hand around his shoulder. "But, a _cute_ idiot mate, a _cute_ idiot."

As they slowed down near Hogsmeade, a drizzle swept over them, which soon turned into large drops that pelted loudly on top of the train.

Rain has a way of making even the simplest things seem mad; all of the sudden everyone is in a hurry and chaos ensues. As the students exited the train, this was no exception. Frightened first years were bumped around and all of the other students were dashing towards a carriage.

James's shouts couldn't be heard over the downpour, but the motion with his arm clarified where he and his friends should head off to. The other boys nodded in agreement and jogged to the nearby carriage.

Just as they got there, however, three other drenched girls darted in front of them. "Hey!" James yelled, his voice barely audible over the roaring winds. "You and your little friends get out of here Evans, we're taking this carriage!"

"I don't think so," Lily shouted back, lifting a shivering finger to point at the other carriages. "We were here first, _you're_ the one that needs to find another!"

"No way!" James exclaimed, his voice going a bit hoarse. "You-"

"Oh come on," Grace yelled, moving to step towards the carriage. "Just get in, Lily. Coming Julie?"

"All of the other carriages are probably full by now!" James shouted.

"Ah, guess will have to share then!" Sirius said, giving a little hop as he made to move towards the girls.

"I'm not sharing with _him_," Lily yelled, staring at James furiously. "Not in a million years!"

"Suits me, because I'm not going anywhere near _you_,"James shot back.

"Lily, just come on," Julie persuaded, as she followed Grace up the stairs. "It'll only be for a couple of minutes."

Lily ignored her friend's request as she continued to storm, rivaling the one that currently roared in the quickly darkening sky. "I will not go _near_ him-"

"You couldn't pay me a hundred galleons-"

"I'll never set foot in there with this schlem-"

"I'd rather share a carriage with a hinkypuff-"

"It's only right, because _we_ were here first-"

"Bye!"

"What?" Lily and James quickly cut off their bantering at the sound of this farewell, and turned to see a dozen or so carriages rolling out of Hogsmeade, Sirius waving merrily out of a window.

Lily's eyes bugged out and her mouth dropped open, and James rushed toward the quickly retreating carriages. "Wait!" he shouted.

Lily ran beside him as well. "Stop!"

The invisible horses were either hard of hearing or held a very twisted sense of humor, because they trotted onward, leaving Lily and James behind.

"Well this is just _great_!" Lily huffed, crossing her arms. "Look what you did, Potter!"

"What?" James exclaimed, swiping away a sopping strand of hair that had fallen into his eyes. "You've got to be kidding!"

"Oh now what are we supposed to do," Lily cried, looking after her dry friends wistfully.

"There's plenty o' room in these boats," a deep voice boomed cheerfully. "Righ' over here's a spare one."

"I can't believe this," Lily grumbled, one hand holding up her sopping head.

James grunted, his head hanging between his legs and held up by a soaked piece of his robe.

Two boats over Hagrid was directing a group of first years, comforting the ones that had doubts about the sorting. Looking over, he spotted the gloomy and seething fourth years.

"Oh, it ain't tha' bad," he said blithely, chuckling a bit under his shaggy beard. "A little fresh air won't do you any harm."

"Well not when the fresh air is soaking me from head to toe and I'm riding on a tidal wave," Lily mumbled.

"Yeah, while our friends are nice and dry and probably having a good laugh," James said grumpily, trying in vain to ring out his robes. The rain was just beginning to let up, but his robes still stuck to him persistently.

A boat to their left floated past them, the children inside oohing and ahhing at the site of the looming castle.

"Ooh... a big building," James mimicked bitterly. He looked up at Lily. "Hey, did you eat a lot over the summer Evans? Because I think you're weighing down the boat. Look, that's a whole boatful of kids and they just zoomed on by."

"Oh shove off," she said angrily. She pointed a finger into a bundle of drenched robes that covered James's chest. "And don't blame me for this, you're the one that got us in this horrid mess in the first place."

"Ah, 'ere's the fresh air," Hagrid said happily. "See, it's barely a drizzle now."

"Me?" James shouted, although not a necessity since the storm had all but diminished. He stood up furiously. "You're unbelievable!"

Lily stood up too, although her height didn't match his as well as it had last year. Tilting her head up the slightest bit, she yelled back, "_I'm_ unbelievable? Who's the one that-"

"Ay, no- no, kids, no standin' in the boats," Hagrid warned them, watching the dangerously rocking boat uneasily.

James threw up his hands in frustration and admonished the shouting girl. "Oh would you shut that big mouth for _once_-"

"Now c'mon, I'm no' lyin', no standin'-"

"I do not have a big mouth," Lily shouted indignantly, putting her hands on her hips.

"Kids-"

"Looks like a mighty big mouth to me," James said, grinning at Lily's frustrated face.

"_Oh_," Lily fumed, stomping her foot. She made to continue her rant, but was cut off as the boat hit a wave and she and James were suddenly greeted by the icy water.

Hagrid looked down and shook his head. "See, now that's wha' happens when ye stand in a boat."

A/N: Once again, thanks ever so much to my wonderful reviewers...

Gaby-Malfoy- Hmm... no, I probably wouldn't want to taste the stew either. (If you can call it that...) Thanks as always for the wonderful review!

Once again, thanks ever so much to my wonderful reviewers...- Hmm... no, I probably wouldn't want to taste the stew either. (If you can call it that...) Thanks as always for the wonderful review!

Aerandir- Tu espanol es perfecto

Moonylover2000- Sirius is creepy, isn't he: ) Thanks for the review!

Kita- I made you cry? (From laughter at least) Wow! My first cyber initiated emotion.

Angelina Radcliffe- I'm glad you like the story thus far, and about the chapter, I know it was pointless... I was seriously debating whether I should wait and use some of that stuff for the holidays, but alas, I wanted to provide you lovely folks with a summer ; ) Thanks for the review!

MilesFromNormal- I'm very happy you enjoyed all that, thanks bundles for the review!

Misty Cherry- Hola! Thanks for the fabulous review, and the note **_to_** beta was because she is the wind beneath my wings...

- Hola! Thanks for the fabulous review, and the note beta was because she is the wind beneath my wings...

Hermione1989- Glad you liked it, thanks for the review!

SuperHiperChit- Oh, I'm glad that you like Remus and Grace ; ) Thanks for the review, glad you found it humorous!

Siriuslyfun19212- Friends can be mean : ) The song was by Bette Midler.

StarLady92- The stew grossed me out too ; p Thanks for the review!

**- Glad you found it so funny, is this the same ? that reviewed before?**

Lanette- Glad you loved it! Ah yes she is paranoid (btw her name's spelled Lily, not Lilly) Thanks tons for the review!

Holly-evans- Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked it!

Luna Gypsy- Wow, glad you found it so funny! Thanks muchos for the review : )

Molly- Yes, he does have half (if not more) of the girl population, so I think he's all set for a while now ; ) Oooh, I tried the stew thing too. Just a note- a lot of things in here (or soon to come) are real life experiences. Quite sad really. (Unfortunately this would be most of the stupid stuff Sirius does...) Don't worry, Julie has a point in being, but I really have to start building up her character more, that's one of my biggest regrets. If I ever revise I'll change loads... thanks for the review!

Htebazile9851- Don't worry, I have no life either ; ) (even on perfectly sunny days) Thanks for the fantastic reviews, they really mean a lot to me!

JpSwEeTy157- Aw, thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks again for the wonderful review!

MelissaMoony- Thick, very very thick. Thanks for the review!

LoadsofWaffle- I know, my worst fear :shudders: let's hope it never happens again...

FadingSlowly- Yeah, you're really the only one that commented about James's parents not being there. Nice pick up ; ) Thanks for the review!

Jess- It is, we'll have to try it sometime.

FreckledIrishMaiden- Oh so yummy indeed ; ) Thanks for the review!

RavenSiriusBlack- You'd better...

Suji- Hmm... maybe in the future ; ) The cheer was simply smashing, lookin good!

Ninde Annare- Aw, thanks! The review was wonderful, mucho appreciated!

Dreamlessnights- I hope you find your gift for words sometime soon! Thanks for the reviews : )

Dance-flirt- The Hogwarts Express? You crazy goose ; ) If Petunia was on that big scarlet train she'd probably have a heart attack and jump in a pool of sanitizer. Thanks for the review!

Charmed4ever- Yes, yes, it was a joke... You got me... :meek laughter: thanks for the review!

Siriusismine- Hey, I like typing that. : ) Thanks so much for all of the reviews, I'm glad you like the story so much, and the way I portray the characters, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story! Sorry, President's already filled.

CotN4life- Wow, from start to finish? Thanks! That makes me feel ultimately spiffy : )


	30. Fourth Year

Standing There By You

Ch. 30- Fourth Year

Disclaimer: Let it be known... it's still not mine.

**A/N:** Bonjour! (This is EyesofEmerald writing, pre-vacation) Right now I'm probably laying out on the beach with a golden tan, sipping strawberry dacharies as cabana boys -looking mysteriously like a seventeen year old Sirius- are fanning me with palm leaves.

Eh, more than likely I'm red as a tomato and scribbling away on a notepad. But I'll be thinking about the aforemention description, no doubt.

I really rushed to get this chapter writtten before I left, so I'm sorry if it's not up to standard. More Graceness soon, I promise. ::Bites nails:: Beta's responding to your reviews for me, props to her for uploading this, btw.

**B/N:** Hello everyone this is beta and yes if you see anymore B/N's that stands for 'beta's note', EyesofEmerald has no faith in me, I am deeply hurt. She doesn't think I am capable of writing good thank you's but I'll show her! Well, enjoy this chapter!

Sirius Black Fanclub update: Everyone who participated in the Boxer Challenge is a winnner ; ) And our first erm... floozie, shall be dance-flirt. Kudos!

"Bit of seaweed in your hair, Lilykins."

Lily turned to glare at Sirius before swatting his hand away. "Thanks," she said dryly, plucking the slick green plant out of her hair.

Beside her Grace laughed and Julie stifled a giggle, determinedly keeping their eyes glued to their dinner.

The two quarreling fourth years had arrived in a rather humorous sight indeed, with seaweed stuck in their hair, stench of the lake (as Sirius so kindly pointed out), and mucky school robes dragging behind them. Being the stubborn kids they were, they point blank refused to skip dinner like Hagrid had permitted them to, at the risk of losing any dignity.

Lily was in quite the grumpy state and showed it well as she stabbed her meat harder then necessary with her fork, but James seemed to be fairing along quite nicely...

"Oh James," Angie cooed, brushing aside his lake filled locks. "It must of been _dreadful_."

"If you mean sharing a boat with _her_... then yes it was," James said, grimacing in Lily's direction. "But if you mean the fall in the lake, well that certainly was no task at all. My swimming skills are top notch."

Lily let out a short laugh from above her battered pork. "Oh please," she scoffed, "you sputtered and grabbed my head to stay afloat, all the while practically drowning me in the process."

"I got so close, too," James said, giving a mock exaggerated sigh. "Pity..."

James and his friends laughed, and a few moments too late, two mindless vixens joined in too.

Sirius turned to Val- who immediately stopped breathing upon being caught in his gaze- and grinned. "You look... erm," he was about to compliment her, but the black streaks the rain had created down her face from the over-application of mascara threw him off a bit. "Uh... you look," Val looked at him expectantly and began to furiously bat her eyelashes, effectively making her raccoon eyes worse. Sirius cringed slightly. "You look... hungry! Here, wanna roll?"

Several seats over, the girls turned away from the empty drabble and began a conversation of their own.

"Did you hear they've switched Muggle Studies to Tuesday?" Lily asked, as she nibbled on bites of corn.

"Thrilling," Grace said unenthusiastically.

"Well if you weren't interested then why did you take it?" Lily asked.

Grace smiled. "Easy grade."

"Well I took it for the culinary," Julie said excitedly. "Do you think we'll start that section sometime soon?"

Lily shrugged and then looked up at her friend. "I didn't know you liked to cook."

Julie nodded and gave a small smile. "One day I'll let you taste my scones."

Lily laughed, while Grace made a frame out of her hands and held it up to Julie. "I can just see it now," she said, giving a half smile and proclaiming, "Julie Taylor, the most brilliant chef in all of London." She dropped her hands. "Ooh, do you think you'll get to wear one of those tall funky hats?"

Julie laughed. "Maybe."

"Do you know when the next Hogsmeade trip is?" Sirius asked, as the four boys tread the familiar path to their dormitory. "I'm running low on supplies."

James shrugged. "I don't think they start until September."

"October, actually," Remus put in. "That's what it was last time at least."

Peter nodded in agreement and Sirius let out an incredulous scoff.

"_October_?" Sirius repeated. "I can't wait that long!"

Remus laughed. "Well you're going to have to. It's not that-"

"Well why should we have to wait?" James cut in, his eyes having that mischievous gleam. "I mean, we're the _Marauders_, remember?"

"Oh yes," Remus said dryly. "Well let's just march on up to McGonagall's office and tell her we're going to Hogsmeade because we're the _Marauders_. While you're at it why don't you get a couple homework extensions as well."

"Oh could you?" Peter asked anxiously. "I didn't finish my summer work yet."

"Maybe Pete," James said, before turning to Sirius. "What'd you think, mate? I mean, there's loads of passages in this school, I'm sure one of them has got to lead to Hogsmeade."

Remus gave an involuntary shudder, and James turned to look at him. "Oh, other than that, I mean."

"That hallway," Sirius said suddenly. "Remember, the one with all of the twisted tapestries? I'll bet there was a passageway there. Or, maybe the one will all of the statues."

James nodded. "I can't remember them all... we really have to start keeping track, you know."

"Yeah," Sirius nodded. "Well anyway, when should we go? Tomorrow night?"

Remus frowned. "How about this weekend?"

"Okay," James said. "That way we'll have time to search for a passage."

The four boys looked at each other and grinned. Sirius scuffed his shoe against the hard floor and added, "Wonder what a firewhiskey tastes like..."

They walked up the staircase to sort out their things before exploring, and Remus arriving first, pushed open their dormitory door to reveal a freshly cleaned and empty room; the bed curtains were perfectly drawn and there wasn't even a speck of lint on the blankets. "Ah..." he said, smiling at the scene before him. "The room is finally livable! I can actually see the floor."

"We'll fix that," Sirius announced, entering the room with James and Peter closely behind him.

In an instant the sparkling clean room was littered with clothes and tossed blankets, loose wrappers falling about and food saved for later, all landing on top of comforters and bedposts.

Remus gave a slight whimper as he shoved through the now horrendously messy floor and flopped pitifully onto his bed. "Ah well," he said, mostly to himself. "At least my area of the room is-"

He was cut off as a strewn robe and an article that looked mysteriously like boxer shorts were tossed onto his bed. Remus rolled over and heaved an enormous sigh. "Such pigs..."

Later that night the boys got out their old and trustworthy cloak, stumbling a bit more than they used to because of the somewhat drastic change in height.

"We've already checked this section," Sirius said, as they rounded a familiar set of paintings.

"Have we?" James asked, scratching his head. "No, I think that was the other corridor."

Remus sighed. "I think we've been _everywhere_," he said tiredly. "Maybe we should just try again another night."

"If we don't find it tonight, we probably won't get to go this weekend," James said, "and besides, we've yet to fail at anything."

Peter sighed loudly. "We _have_ already been in this section. See, there's the wrapper I dropped."

Sirius made a slight indignant noise and James responded by whipping the invisibility cloak off. "Well no one's around," he said, after Remus looked at him with an aghast expression. "Besides, this is probably what's holding us back. We can hardly move under that thing."

As they walked on Remus stooped down and picked up the wrapper, shoving it in his hand and muttering something about the declining economy.

"Well what's this?" Sirius asked, striding over to an interesting painting they must have missed. The boys followed him, and James shook his head.

"No Sirius, I'm certain we should go this way." He led the group to the opposite end of the hallway and pointed to an odd tapestry. "Look, that's got to be something."

"No," Remus shook his head, walking back in the direction Sirius had shown them. "Remember? That one night in second year we had commented that this was really unusual, it might be something."

"No," James said, dragging his friends back down the hallway. "That was nothing, we..."

He cut off as an echoing of footsteps sounded at the bottom of the stairs. The four boys looked at each other wide eyed, and then a little ways down the staircase at the strewn cloak.

"What do we do?" James whispered. "There's no way we can get to that cloak."

Sirius looked at him, down the stairs, and then back up to James. "Run!"

As one the four boys set off on a sprint down the hallway, a bit frantic as the steps became more audible. "A door!" Sirius whispered happily, pointing to a huge doorway in the middle of the hall.

"Where did that come from?" James asked suspiciously.

"Who cares, it's a door," Sirius said, stepping in. James, Remus, and Peter followed soon after, and shut the door quickly.

They breathed heavily from the quick run, turning around to view the mysterious room they had entered.

All four jaws dropped open, and wide eyes stared at their surroundings in awe. They stood in a very comfortable sort of area, with a very... unique variety of objects filling the room.

"Whoa..." Sirius breathed, his eyes searching the treasures that lay abounds.

"What _is_ this room?" James asked curiously.

"I don't know, but look at all the books!" Remus said happily, hurrying to the large shelves.

"And the _food_," Peter said, rubbing his hands greedily. As he stuffed several sweets at a time into his mouth, he mumbled, "I was just hoping for some, too!"

"Do you think this is some sort of... I don't know, room that can hear what you're thinking?" James asked.

Sirius nodded slowly. "And it provides whatever you've wished for."

James grinned as he spotted a pile of parchments with intricate sketches drawn on them. "Quidditch plays," he said, leafing through them. "And look, a bottle of Purpurgi's Broom Polishing Cleaner. I was just thinking I had to clean my broom."

"Good to know we all had a keen eye on our objective," Sirius said, smirking.

Remus looked over from one of his books. "Oh, so you were only thinking about the passageway, Sirius?"

Sirius shrugged and then spotting something, he grinned like a madman as he settled himself on a plush red cushion and flipped through some sort of calendar.

"Girls," James, Remus, and Peter said in unison.

"This is bloody brilliant," Sirius said, tilting the calendar to face the boys. "Wicked Witches Calendar, a new girl for each month." He wiggled his eyebrows and smirked.

"You're so odd," Remus said, going back to his book.

"_I'm_ odd?" Sirius asked, bemused. "You're the one who chooses to read about 'educational stuff' when you could be looking at _very_ pretty pictures."

Quite awhile passed by as James looked eagerly through Quidditch plays, Peter nibbled on so much food it was sure to cause him a stomach-ache later on, Sirius flipped happily through his calendar, and Remus, of course, skimmed through his many books.

"Well, we'd better get going," James finally said, after he'd memorized each and every play and took enough bottles to oil his broom to its squeakiest.

Remus looked up. "Hey, we still haven't found the passageway."

"Oh look, her robe's exposing her _shoulder_!" Sirius announced, goggling gleefully at the 'wicked witch'.

James rolled his eyes and looked over at his friends. "Well maybe one of us was at least subconciously thinking of what we were actually searching for," he said, glancing around the room. "Maybe there's something in here that could give us a hint."

"What's that?" Peter asked, pointing a finger at a nearby table.

James and Remus looked over to see a large book resting open-faced on top of a small wooden stand. "That wasn't there before," James said, as he, Remus, and Peter stood up to investigate. "Sirius," he said, grabbing the calendar and smacking it across his head. "Get up you goon."

"Fine," Sirius pouted, standing up beside James. He waved his hands in mock excitement. "Ooh, a book."

"Well maybe it's a clue," Remus said, as he peered at the displayed page. "There's a witch on it."

Sirius made a face. "She's got one eye and a hump, poor thing."

"Nah, it's a statue," James said, holding up the page. "See, look at the description below it."

Sirius nodded. "So it must have something to do with the passage. I'm sure we can figure it out from this."

"Yeah, probably. Well, ready then?" James asked, looking around at his friends. "It's nearly dawn, and we still need to pick up my cloak."

The other three nodded, and they set off to get the most out of the quickly decreasing hours they had left until morning.

"G'night Genie," Sirius bid fondly, as he stepped out of the room.

His friends turned to stare at him. "Genie?"

"Well the room's got to have a name," he explained in an obvious manner, "and our wish is her command. Thus, Genie."

The others shook their heads. "Alright, Sirius."

The next day the boys walked through the hallways, a bit drowsy due to their three or so hours of sleep. They were on their way to History of Magic, (at least three of them were, Peter had run back to Herbology to retrieve the homework he had forgotten) and the chances of them staying awake during the old man's droning were about zero to a hundred.

Sirius felt Remus straighten up from the slouched position they all had acquired, and looked up to see what had caused this change.

Rolling his eyes, he saw Remus's gaze averted away from that of a rather eccentric and loud girl across the hall.

"Now's your big chance, Remmy," Sirius said, nudging his friend's side.

"Chance for what?" Remus said lightly, ducking his head and continuing on as if nothing had happened.

"Oh you're getting a bit irritating," Sirius said, "would you just admit it already?"

Remus looked at him with an aghast expression. "I haven't a clue what you're-"

"It is getting tiring Remus," James put in. "You're very obvious, you know, to us anyway."

"Yeah mate," Sirius added. "Just admit that you fancy her. Ask her to Hogsmeade. Snog her a bit... and you're done with it."

Remus made to protest again, but stopped at a look from James and Sirius.

"Fine," he said quietly. "I like her. There, you happy?"

"Okay, good," said James. "Now go ask her to Hogsmeade."

"Well it's not that simple," Remus said. "I mean, there are a few complications, you know."

"Like what?" asked James.

"Well for one, Sirius fancies her."

The two friends stopped walking and turned to look at Remus incredulously. "_What!?"_

"Well you do," said Remus, looking up at Sirius. "I mean, you're always flirting with her, and when she made the team, and well you two are just perfect-"

"Remus, Sirius flirts with _every_one," said James. "Heck, he flirts with my Grandma. I certainly hope that doesn't mean he fancies _her_."

Sirius frowned at James's last statement, but then grinned at Remus. "No worries, mate. I don't fancy her in the least. Actually, I've got my eyes on..." Sirius looked around the corridor and spotted a girl their age walking near them, "Abbi." The girl's tumbling cinnamon locks fanned around her face as she whipped her head to face them, her over-bright blue eyes wide as they fell upon Sirius.

"Hey," he said, throwing her a suave half-grin. "You, me, Hogsmeade." She responded with a meek sound and he gave her a charming wink. The awe-struck girl let out a giggle and said in a dazed voice, "Sure."

"Well this works out," Sirius said, as Abbi ran down the corridor to no doubt, tell her friends. "Now just go ask her out, and-"

"That's not all of the complications," Remus continued. "I mean..."

"Oh come on, Remus," said James, "It's not that diffi-"

"I just... oh look, the door's open, we can go in now!" he pronounced with feigned excitement, nearly bouncing into the room.

James and Sirius sighed impatiently but followed him nonetheless. "Ah well, I can't complain," Sirius said, perking up, "I got a date out of it, after all."

**B/N: **Well I hope you had fun reading, and as for the review thank you's, I was personally granted this task by EyesofEmerald herself. I hope they are up to the usual standards. And a very special thank you to:

**Dulcis Caelum**- for the contribution of the wrinkly eyeball ; )

**Charmed4ever**- Yay! Gold stars for EyesofEmerald, she says thank you. But what about me?No gold stars for beta ;) But hey, a review is just as good! Thanks a lot for the fantastic review.

**CotN4Life**- Aww, that's touching reading it over again, I'm glad that you enjoy it so much and your review means a lot, thanks: )

**dance-flirt**- YAY!! Congrats to the winner!!! You just got a date with Sirius to Hogsmeade, how do you feel now? Thanks for being such an active member of the SBFC, you rock! Thanks for the marvelous reviews!

**dreamlessnights**- Your reviews are splendid just the way they are! I'd rather have your review then no review at all! I'm glad this story can bring laughter to you. Thanks a bunch for the awesome and interesting reviews!

**espergirl04**- I'm glad this story could make you laugh! Have loads of fun at your summer camp. I feel bad for Sirius too, I mean having a git like that for a brother…but it must be written to portray Sirius's character to it's fullest extent. Thanks for the review : )

**FadingSlowly**- I like your penname! When they got drenched they fell into the lake…sorry if that part confused you and I hope that could answer your wuestion! Thanks for the reviews!!

**Gaby-Malfoy**- Yes we'll all miss EyesofEmerald but, I think I'm a pretty darn good replacement..:) I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Thanks bunches for the review!

**holly-evans**- Hey, thanks for the review. I hope this chapter is as satisfactory as all the rest! : )

**iluv2grind**- Lily should have pushed James in to show him who's boss, but we can't have James looking too much like a fool. Thanks for the fabulous review!!

**ImperishableStars**- I absolutely love your penname, Regulus's name has been fixed and thanks for pointing it out! Yay, I love that they're getting older too, it's much more exciting to read and write about! Thanks bunches for the review: )

**Jess**- Yes, they do get themselves in a bunch of pickles don't they? Well there will probably be more of those situations, until they realize that they don't hate each other! Thanks for the review: )

**koalacancan**- Yay! thanks for reading this story, I hope you enjoy it!

**Lanette**- "poor remus, the poor cute idiot" hehe I liked that line of your review. Cute, indeed, but don't worry I've got my eye on James instead! Thanks for the review it means a lot : )

**leyre**- yes, indeed especially when its two squabbling teenagers! Thanks bundles for the review!

**Loadsofwaffle**- Hey, thanks for reviewing, and yes Lily and James are the cutest couple, sad to say that James is mine though….Lily can't have him. Thanks for the enthusiastic reviews, they mean a lot!

**Marauderette**-hmm, EyesofEmerald has claimed Sirius as her own, but I, beta get prongs for myself! Remus and Grace will be coming up soon, EyesofEmerald and I already have that all planned out, so no worries. Well I can help you pick out your name…I like Marauderette the best. It definitely has great potential. Thanks bundles for the marvelous review, I hope you'll be a loyal reviewer!

**MelissaMoony**- I'm glad this story provides amusement to it's readers! Glad you're enjoying, and thanks for the review!!

**MidnightPrincess**- Remus/Grace..interesting indeed, I guess you'll just have to read and find out…. Thanks for the review: )

**MilesFromNormal**- Lily and James getting over it and snogging, well that would be simple but then our story would be boring! It'll be awhile before they realize they're both being stupid and they love each other….well you'll just have to keep on reading to see how it happens. Thanks for the fantastic review: )

**Ninde Annare**-Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed reading this chapter, the review was much appreciated!!!!!

**Oliverwoodschic**-I agree with your review, a great story indeed! Your review was much appreciated.

**PhoenixLupin**- Yay, I'm glad you like this fic! And I'm glad you like the way Lily and James are portrayed!! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the rest! Thanks bundles for the review: )

**Pline**- Well, I'm glad you're enjoying this fic so much, and I hope you enjoy the rest! Thanks for the review!!!

**Quiteona**-Yay! I'm glad you're enjoying this fic so much! And I'm glad you're enjoying the humor added in it. Thanks for the reviews, they're awesome!

**RSB-Raven Sirius Black**- Thanks for the review, as for putting it in your LJ I don't think EyesofEmerald would mind, but you'd better get the okay from her first. : )

**silverpheonix2**- Yeah, unfortunately Lily and James won't be liking each others company for awhile, which of course is okay because Angie will keep him company ; )

**siriusismine**- I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you like this chapter too! I second your motion for Viggo Mortensen or Johnny Depp for the role of Sirius in the movies. I personally like Ch. 3 too, Angie is one of my favorite characters, maybe because we have so much in common ; ) President and Vice President are already filled positions for the SBFC, by EyesofEmerald and myself, secretary perhaps? Thanks bundles for the reviews!! I think you and dance-flirt need to realize that Sirius is EyesofEmerald's…you can fight over him with her.

**thoroughbredchickie**- I'm delighted to hear that you love this fic. It makes me get all 'gooey and fuzzy' hehe…but your support really makes having fics like this worth while. And your request to join the SBFC is underway….pending all the necessary paperwork has been filed. (Did I mention I'm the Vice Pres. of the club?) Thanks a bunch for the awesome reviews!!!

**Windowseat Wonderer**- Ahh. All the way at the end of the review thank you's, but don't worry…saved the best for last. I'm glad that this fic can bring some joy into your life. And as for sharing it with your sister, yay, I'm glad you introduced this story to someone new! Your review was much appreciated : )

**B/N:** Yea, so my author thank you's were pretty spiffy, EyesofEmerald has so little faith in me!


	31. Absurd Advice and Swindling Students

Standing There By You

Ch. 31- Absurd Advice and Swindling Students

Disclaimer: Let it be known... it's not mine.

A/N: Hooray, I'm back! I missed you all terribly, and my hands were not complete without a keyboard to type upon. Thanks for being patient! Er... also, a friend informed me I spelled daiquiris wrong in my A/N. Just goes to show you what an avid drinker I am ; ) Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, it really made my day (okay, night, I hurried onto my computer as soon as I set foot in the doorway... after a _15 hour_ drive)

Sirius Black Fan Club... eh, it's coming ; ) Glad to hear you like it, though.

Enough of my rambling, here's chapter 31...

"Well this is absolutely absurd," Remus muttered, as he scanned a folded and creased paper. He set the yellowing newspaper aside and drew a scrap piece of parchment out of his bag, before scribbling something down. Gently pushing the bridge of his reading glasses up with several light taps of his finger, he bit his tongue slightly in concentration and went back to study the bedraggled paper. Shaking his head in disapproval, he grabbed the scrap parchment and added a bit more, occasionally picking up his head to go back to the newspaper for reference. "Drugle..." he grumbled. "What sane person likes him, anyway?"

"My aunt does," an unexpected voice answered thoughtfully. "But I'm not quite sure if she's sane, actually."

Remus was so jolted by someone responding to his question that he jerked his quill mid-drip, sending a large ink blotch across his parchment. He had been so engrossed in his work that he hadn't even noticed someone join him in the once empty common room and occupy a chair beside him. He straightened up. "Oh, Grace," he laughed nervously, "didn't see you there."

"Hello," she responded cheerfully. She peeked over at his parchments. "What are you doing?"

"What?" he asked, staring back at her blankly. She motioned to the table where his work lay. "Oh- oh this is just an article Stephano, oh wait er... Drugle and well Stephano was a co-partner, but well there's just um misguided facts and, er..."

"Oh, I know Drugle," she said, mercifully paying his stammers no mind. She stood up and glanced at his papers with interest. "He wrote about the fundamentals of the Sargo curse, right?"

"Yeah, he did," Remus said, looking at her in surprise. "You know about him?"

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded. "My aunt has a couple of his works. So, you're... fixing them?"

"Well, uh... sort of," he replied, giving a jerky shrug. He picked up his parchment, and as he began to explain the topic he was so thoroughly intrigued by, his nerves were subconsciously forgotten. "Drugle, he's an incredible man, some might even say genius. But he goes with such a difficult angle that such a simple piece was made incomprehensible, and the very people that are supposed to learn from it probably can't even understand it." He stared at the newspaper with a newfound intensity as he continued on. "Drugle's so worried about making his writing appear advanced, that he's simply disregarding the audience, and in the mean time he's getting crucial facts incorrect. So, I was just revising it a bit in my own words and..." he trailed off abruptly, lifting his head to look at Grace as if just remembering she was there. He smiled weakly, his nervous persona returning. "Oh- I'm sorry, I'm probably er.. probably boring you to death-"

"No," Grace said, shaking her head earnestly. "I think it's great to be so passionate about something."

"Oh well, you know..."

She picked up her head to look at him, twisting a midnight lock around a purple painted fingernail as she studied his expression. After a few seconds of silence, she smiled and leaned over. "Well let me read your revised article, then."

Remus looked down at his scribbled and blotched up paper, before looking back up at Grace. "Oh no, well I'm not nearly finished, and it's all messy and..."

Grace shrugged. "Okay." A grin turned the corner of her lips, "But you've got to promise to show it to me once you're finished."

"There ya are you old bloke," a loud voice called from behind the swinging portrait.

Sirius, James, and Peter appeared in the common room one by one. "What have you been doing all this-" Sirius cut off as he spotted Grace hovering over Remus. He grinned and threw an exaggerated wink at the pair. "_Oh_," he said dramatically.

Beside him James smirked as well. "Sorry for ah... _disturbing_."

"No, no," Remus said quickly, standing up and gathering his newspaper and parchments, "not disturbing, er, we were just, and then she uh-"

Grace smiled, laughing slightly. "I've got to go, I'll see you later Remus."

Remus nodded. "Right then," he said, his gaze directed at her left elbow. "See you."

Grace gave a quick wave to his friends before setting off toward her staircase. Remus joined his friends on their path to the dormitory, and shot them an angry glare as they snickered on either side of him.

"You know mate," Sirius said, as he pulled open the door, "we've been talking, and we think you need a bit of advice."

"Advice?" Remus repeated sardonically, sighing as they stepped into their messy dormitory. "You're going to give me advice? On what?"

"Yes we are," James continued for Sirius as he plopped onto his bed and pulled off his shoes. He tossed them carelessly across the room and leaned back. "I'm afraid, my friend, that you are in dire need of advice on women."

"What? No," Remus replied firmly, frowning at James's misshapen shoe that lay wedged between his mattress and bedpost. "And get this disgusting thing away from me."

James rolled his eyes as he watched Remus kick his shoe off the bed. "Yes you do," James persisted, sitting up to face his friend. "Now listen closely. To woo said girl-"

"I don't want your advice," Remus grumbled his protest.

"Yes you do," Sirius cut in. "Now. All you've got to do is ask her to..." Sirius tapped his finger on his right temple as if deliberating, before turning to Remus and brightening. "Tutor you."

"Tutor?" Remus asked, making a face. "In what?"

"Defense," he replied with a tone of finality.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts?" said Remus. "I'm getting full marks in there!"

"Well that's alright," Sirius said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, "you could always use a little _extra credit_."

"Shove off!" Remus exclaimed, throwing his pillow directly at Sirius's face. This didn't stop the insane laughter that came from him, however, and only increased James's.

"Oh," Peter spoke up, looking over at his one frustrated and two laughing friends. "Do you think I could ask her, then? I really need some extra credit."

Remus shook his head, and James and Sirius paused and turned to look at Peter. After a few seconds of silence, they dissolved into even harder laughter.

Peter turned to Remus. "Was it something I said?"

"And yesterday we had a full out break through," Grace said excitedly, as she, Lily, and Julie made their way to Potions class. "You know Samuels? He threw an all around Rolly Ding Off, and then Kabas came with another Acute Arrest!"

"Great," Lily said, smiling at her friend and nodding. As Grace continued to chatter on about Quidditch, she turned to Julie and muttered, "It's as if she was speaking a different language."

"I know," Julie agreed. "What the heck is a Rolly Ding Off?"

Lily shook her head and shrugged; they entered the gloomy atmosphere of the dungeons, where the atmosphere contrasted greatly with their happy mood.

"Hope Fluent's not in a bad mood today," Grace said, as they turned to enter their Potions room.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Is he ever not in a bad mood?"

"Too true," Julie said, laughing in spite of the dreadful class before her. The three girls made their way to the desk they had always occupied, but found three Slytherins sitting on top of it.

"Ex_cuse_ us," Grace said pointedly, slamming down her books. Julie hesitantly reached out her books and followed suit, setting them next to Grace's.

A girl with sleek black hair wrinkled her noise, looking over at the girls with disgust. The other two didn't make any notion they realized the three Gryffindor girls had arrived.

"You're sitting on our desk," Lily informed them. "Could you move?"

"For a Mudblood, Halfblood, and Pureblood gone to waste with muggle values... let me think," a boy sneered to her left. "No."

Grace stepped forward and shot a menacing glare at the boy. "Watch your mouth, Audire," she warned heatedly. Behind her Julie nodded vigorously.

Lily walked up and stood next to her friend. "Class is starting, now _move_."

"Nah," the third boy drawled, dropping onto a chair and resting his feet on top of the desk. They happened to jerk and send Julie's books flying. "We're fine where we are, thanks."

"Take your seats," Professor Fluent's brisk voice rang throughout the dungeon. "Open your text..." he stopped mid-sentence as his eyes fell upon the three girls that remained standing. "Are you deaf? I told you to take a seat. And what is all this mess you've made?"

"We know," Lily started to explain, "but they're sitting-"

"Sir, they just won't leave us alone," one of the Slytherin's informed him with an innocent expression. "All we're trying to do is follow your instructions." His two friends nodded sullenly beside him.

"Bullocks!" Grace cried, pounding her fist on the table. "And they're the ones that made the mess, tell him Julie."

As all eyes shifted to the girl, as she crossed her arms nervously. "Oh well... yeah, they-"

"Unless you'd like a week's worth of detentions, I highly suggest you move and find your own seats _now_," Professor Fluent instructed firmly, his cold gaze falling over the girls.

Grace gave an angry huff and scooped up her books, before turning to look around the dungeon. The only available seats weren't located together, so she stomped off to the nearest unoccupied one. Lily did as well, although her frustration was dented a bit with terror at the prospect of a week of detentions. Julie took a slight while longer, as she hastily scrambled to pick up her scattered books and parchments.

Once they were all settled, Professor Fluent sneered his instructions for that lesson's potion assignment, before casting a list of ingredients on the board.

"It's funny," James commented, as he handed Sirius a pile of chopped Rewsins to pour in the cauldron, "the two people I can't stand the most, and they're stuck working together for the entire class. This is highly amusing."

"Severus, could you pass me the Ganage?" Lily requested, wiping her hands to rid of excess frog liver.

"I can do it myself," Severus said coldly.

Lily bit her tongue to refrain from retorting. "Severus, this is supposed to be a _group_ project-"

"I can do it," Severus repeated, ignoring her exasperated look. "You don't know what you're doing, anyway."

Lily sighed, and reached over to start grating the Presarios instead. "Don't touch that!" Severus shouted angrily.

Lily turned to glare at him, her hands on her hips. "Severus! I'm fairly positive I can handle this project as well as you can. I _have_ been studying Potions as long as you have, you know."

Severus jerked his head slightly to peer at her, before looking back down at the Ganage he was stripping. "Sorry," he replied in what Lily figured to be the most genuine voice he could muster, "I'm just used to working by myself."

"Can you believe them?" Grace demanded, as she furiously chopped her terigunes.

"Nope," Remus responded, his voice fairly higher than normal. He gulped as the knife came down harder with each slice.

"Oh, was I supposed to do that?"

Grace and Remus turned to look at Peter, who had just dumped a mountainous pile of Nions into the potion.

"No," the two said together, hurrying toward the now putrid smelling potion. The small strainer they were supplied with simply sizzled and melted into the potion as soon as it touched the liquid.

Grace sighed as she watched the metal sink into the potion and vaporize in an instant. "Well... let's just keep working, maybe we can still save it..."

Peter gave a discouraged nod, staring down at the pitiful potion with disbelief. "Yeah, maybe..."

"Make sure you grate the strewn mesucs _before_ gathering the Presarios," a haughty voice directed Julie. "And hurry up. We've only got an hour, you know."

Julie turned to look at the lazy Slytherin girl that was resting on her chair and issuing instructions, without lifting a hand to help. "Well," she began hesitantly, "maybe if you'd-"

"Maybe if I'd what?" the girl interrupted, glaring at her menacingly.

"N-nothing," Julie said, turning back to the potion. She sighed as she picked up the pile of ingredients, and hastily continued to work.

"Well we're almost finished," Grace said, grating the last of the lipits. "How are those ganages coming along, Remus?"

"Fine," Remus said, nodding his head more vigorously than necessary, "just fine."

"Oh, he's coming by," Peter said, craning his neck to view the professor.

"Okay. Remus, hurry and hand me that dish," Grace said, motioning to an argent bowl. "I need to mix these ingredients."

Remus absently reached out a hand to grab the dish, not peering up from his growing pile of mesucs. Just as his fingers brushed the lid, however, he retreated his hand quickly and his head shot up in alarm.

Grace stared at him as he waved his hand around, fanning it slightly in the air, and James stepped up from the cauldron behind him. James laughed and said something about Remus being quite the clown, before picking up the dish and handing it to Grace.

"And what's this?"

Professor Fluent stood before them, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he peered into their cauldron.

"An absolute mess," the professor proclaimed. "A disgrace to this class." He made bold marks on the parchment he held, an obvious gesture of horrid marks.

Peter watched as the professor walked off to the next cauldron. "Sorry guys," he apologized in a small voice.

"It's alright, Peter," Remus said, seemingly recovered from the odd incident that had just taken place. He gave the upset boy an encouraging smile. "We would've never made it without you anyway- no one can chop the Rewsins as well as you can."

"Yeah, I guess..."

"Honestly Peter," Remus said with an increased amount of enthusiasm. "And, I don't even think it was your fault. I'm practically positive I didn't slice the guents fine enough."

"Really?" Peter asked, looking up at him. Remus nodded again. "Oh."

The bell rang to dismiss the class, and everyone quickly gathered their supplies. Grace lingered behind a bit, as Remus put away all of his books neatly and placed his parchments in their designated positions. When he looked up and saw her, she smiled. "If you would've grated those guents any finer, they'd of been invisible."

Remus shrugged as he watched Peter retreat toward Sirius and James. "Well, he needs all the encouragement he can get."

Grace nodded as they began to walk out of the classroom. "A highly respectable student, Remus Lupin, a highly respectable student."

She cocked her head and grinned, and he smiled in return. "You know Remus," Grace began, as they sauntered out of the classroom. "I was wondering if-"

"Well, my friends are waiting," Remus said quickly. He nodded to Grace before hastily setting off toward them. "Bye."

Grace frowned as she watched Remus hurry down the hallway. "Bye."

As Remus met up with the other boys, he was faced with astonished faces and dismally shaking heads. "Remus, you dolt!" James exclaimed. "We would've waited!"

The group began walking down the corridor, and Remus shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter?!" Sirius repeated incredulously. "Remus, buddy ol' pal, you are truly daft." He hit his shoulder. "She was about to ask-"

"So any news on the passage?" Remus interjected, pointedly ignoring Sirius. "If we don't find it soon we won't be able to go."

Sirius stared at him for a moment and frowned, before nodding his head and replying, "Yeah, we're pretty sure we've spotted her on the third floor. We can check it out further tonight."

A/N: Hm... this whole Remus/Grace thing isn't getting _too_ frustrating, is it? If you'd like to know about that in further detail, there's a little bit of information in my livejournal. (Click Homepage on my bio for the link) And... not that many people look at it, so I'd be mighty glad if you'd comment and let me know you've visited : )

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Dulcis- ::sigh:: I missed you too... A whole week, it was tragic. I'm glad your eye is not wrinkly, and I'm glad you liked the chapter. Mucho gracious!

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Chocolatehundreddollarbill- Intruging name. Have Remus ask Grace out? Well I'll try to make him, but he's a tough one, he is. Thanks very much for the review : )

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Dance-flirt- Yes, you are Abbi. I'm extremely happy you enjoyed your 3 lines of fame : ) Thanks bunches for the review!

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Pline- I'm glad you think Remus is cute ; ) Yes, most boys do show off, don't they? But not in this story, no sir (or ma'm). Nope. Well except for Sirius. And James. 

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LooneyLuna1122- Ask her out? Preposterous. Insane. Mad. Wicked. I like adjectives. Thanks very much for the reviews, I appreciate them soo much!

Gaby-Malfoy- Hehe, I don't think so either. Thanks very much for the review, much appreciated!

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Charmed4ever- I'm sad. Why am I sad? Because my beta keeps shoving the stars in my face, and reminds me constantly that they are, in fact, sparkling. ::hinting hinting:: I really like purple. And stars are nice to. Yes, I like purple, and stars. Just in case you didn't catch that, I fancy PURPLE and STARS. Erm... anyway, I'm really glad you like Remus, and thanks for the review! 

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Misakichi1- I'm glad you find it lol worthy, thanks mucho for your review!

**SiriusJamesRemus'sgirl**- Thanks for the review, and I plan to stick to everyone of JKR's words. Thanks again ; )****

Oliverwoodschic- Thanks much for your review, and, you're such a silly girl... you actually think I'm going to answer your questions? Funny lass, you are.

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Molly- Lol, it's okay you didn't review, a lot of people didn't get the update. I think fanfiction was being a little goofy. A 17 yr. old looking Remus? Yum yum. Nope, haven't sent out another one, any ideas? Thanks mucho for the long review!

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MissBlueAngel- It's okay, but any pair of boxers can be wacky : ) Ah well, thanks for trying!

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IrishMaiden- Hehe, yes, Sirius is a player. And I'm not talking about Quidditch....

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MelissaMoony- Aw, hehe I'm glad you like Remus's crush. I sometimes worry I'm overdoing his stammers... don't hesistate to let me know if you think I am. Thanks bunches for the review!

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Dreamlessnights- Thanks much for the review! I'll try and hurry with another SBFC, and... hope you had tons of fun on the dog walk. : )

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Becky- Thanks for all the reviews! I'm really glad you like it. Good luck with your story, I sent you an e-mail, so respond if you need me : )

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FreckledIrishMaiden- Hehe, yeah, I put the shoulder part in because I didn't want people to think he was looking at stuff er... R rated. You didn't get a response?! Oh no... I'll make that up for ya ; )

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Siriuslyfun19212- Um, didn't I just write a dedicated section of my chapter with the emotional words of Hero to my beta, hmm?? My beta is very much appreciated, thank you very much : p I'm glad you liked the Grandma part, I've had that in my head for awhile...

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ImperishableStars- Oh, thanks : ) I'm so glad you like the canonness (does canon just mean sticking to the books? I've always wondered that) Oh, and Remus thanks you for the luck, boy does he need it...

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Lanette- Well I've never actually thought about that, but I suppose he does fancy naming things : p Why didn't we see the girls? They were skipping throughout the Forbidden Forest and illegally trading perishable pillows, so they refused to come join the chapter. I forced them into this one, though.

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Ninde Annare- Hello! Thanks very much for the review, they always make me feel mighty spiffy : )

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MilesFromNormal- Lol,I have faith in my beta, don't worry. It's just the way she exclaimed, "I've got the power!" frightened me a tad. Thanks for the review!****

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Padfootz/thoroughbredchickie- Ooh... two reviews for one chapter? Great stuff! Thanks very much, and by the way, nice alias ; ) By the way, I sent you the first two Fan Club notices, right?

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Misty Cherry- Hello! Long time no talk, it's sad. Thanks for the wonderfully long review, I like when people point out parts they liked. Very much appreciated!

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Windowseat Wonderer- Oh no, you're leaving me? Sad stuff. Where are you going? I hope you have tons of fun : ) Thanks for the review!

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Lily Skylo- Yes, he just went away for a little while. On a vacation of some sort. In fact, I'm practically positive I glimpsed him on the beach... Thanks for the review!

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Aerandir- Hey there ; ) Thanks mucho for the review, and for informing me about the daiquiris... whoops.

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Jess- Hello! You make me feel so dandy, thanks bunches for your review!

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Siriusismine- Oh no.. secretary's already taken too! How about.. um.. if you can come up with a position, it's yours! Hehe, thanks for the review! : ) Smiles are good**. **

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Ieyre- Sirius was that hot and then some.Parvati and Lavendar wouldn't have standed a chance. : ) Thanks for the review!

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Curiousknowitall- Oh yay, I'm glad I have a Remus/Grace shipper... wait, I have a shipper? That's so cool! Thanks bundles for the review... will she accept him? Hmm... good question.

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Jameschic23- I'll make many, many more, so no worries... Thanks bunches for the review!****

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Luna Gypsy- Yes, and I LOVE your reviews so MUCH! Thanks for the review, yours always make me feel utterly fantastic : )

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Holly-Evans- Thanks very much for the review, appreciated greatly as always!

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Manny- Posted ASAP, just for you ; )

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Raven Sirius Black- Glad you like it, thanks so much for the review! My drink is warm...

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Jounin-Elite- Yes! We're definitely making the stew. It sounds scrumptious.

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EW4eva- Thanks for all of the reviews, they're very much appreciated!

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L.M. Robertson- I'm glad I made you laugh! Thanks very much for the reviews, they made me feel splendid : )


	32. Tedious Tunnels and Maraudering Himalaya...

Standing There By You

Ch. 32- Tedious Tunnels and Maraudering Himalayans

Disclaimer: Let it be known... it's not mine. Oh, also, I think there's a line from Babe in here. Two words long... props if you find it! Hmm.. there's also a line from our bio. So I disclaim that, too.

A/N: Hullo. Extremely sorry it took me a long time to get this sucker out, I planned to have it posted by Friday night, but I unexpectedly spent my time from noon Friday till noon Saturday walking for Race for Life (yes, _all_ night) and then slept the rest of Saturday. Okay, I won't bore you further with life rambles, so on with the story...

…

"Men; we have dived into the premises of unknown. We have reached beyond the assumed boundaries. We have soared _past_ the expected," a fist pounded on the bed post to further prove his point. "Now, are you prepared for something past the diving, reaching, and soaring? Are you _ready_?"

Three bored faces looked back blankly at Sirius.

"Well, I'm off to bed..." James said slowly, leaning back into his awaiting comforter.

Remus shook his head. "Yeah, me-"

"I don't think so!" Sirius thundered, yanking James back in a sitting position and glaring at Remus. "I said, are you ready!"

"Yeah," James grumbled.

Remus shrugged. "I guess."

Peter made a slight noise as his head drooped over.

Sirius looked aghast. "Pitiful! Pathetic! Now let's hear it again, with _enthusiasm_!"

"I guess," James grumbled.

Remus shrugged. "Yeah."

Peter made a slight noise as his head drooped over. Distinct snoring commenced.

Sirius sighed. "That'll do. Now, we've got to be at the witch early so we can set out tomorrow morning around sev-"

"Tomorrow morning?" Remus asked, looking up with- for the first time that night- interest. "We can't go tomorrow, we've got classes."

Sirius peered at him. "And..."

"What do you mean 'and'?" said Remus. "We can't just skive off a whole day."

"Sure we can," Sirius replied, smacking him on his shoulder. He turned back to face the others.

"Now, we first must ascend into the undiscovered meaning of-" he paused. "Peter, Peter are you sleeping?"

"This is the longest tunnel _ever_," Sirius complained, rubbing his aching back.

Beside him James agreed. "That it is. Does anyone see light yet?"

"No sign of light," Remus replied next to him, "but actually, the longest tunnel is located between

Laurdal and Aurland, connecting the Bergen area and Eastern Norway-"

"Fine," Sirius huffed. "It's the longest tunnel _I've_ ever had to crawl through."

"Unobjectionable," Remus agreed.

Sirius grimaced. "It's too early for big words."

"I'm hungry," Peter whined. "I told you we should've stopped for breakfast first."

James sighed. "We'll get something in Hogsmeade, Pete."

"Light," Sirius announced suddenly, dropping to his knees and declaring, "I see the light!"

"Finally," Remus sighed, as they approached the tiny streaks of illumination that had managed to sneak between the dusty cracks of a trapdoor.

They looked up and cringed at what lay before them. "Stairs?" Peter moaned. "Why must there be _stairs_?"

"Well, let's get started then," James said, as he began to climb the staircase.

Sirius bounded in front of him. "Stairs aren't so bad," he said happily, taking each step with stride. "Excellent cardio."

The aging old man sat at his elaborate oak desk, watching as his two eldest and most reliable professors took seats before him.

The dignified witch stared back, her eyes alert and ready for his commands. The wizard, who in appearance resembled nothing more than a child, but held as much brilliance as he held years, donned a worried expression that was unfamiliar on his usually cheerful face.

"Do we tell them?" the woman inquired, folding her hands with apprehension.

The Headmaster nodded. "It is better to gain knowledge from one who can be sure of that knowledge in the first place, than from others who know nothing of the knowledge and all of the embellishments and elaborations."

"But sir," the small wizard squeaked, "it's only just begun. Perhaps it will cease in no time?"

"Perhaps," the old man agreed, his voice uncommonly somber. "But we must never be certain."

"So... Many... Stairs," Sirius panted, as he nearly crawled up the remaining stone steps.

"Thought you loved stairs," James said lightly, stepping in front of him.

"What was that, oh- good _cardio_," Remus put in, smiling.

"Shut up you lot," Sirius grumbled wearily.

"Next time, don't sprint," James advised.

"Hey you guys," Peter wheezed, from his spot behind the others "do you see the-" he paused as Sirius's head and a solid object collided with a loud clunk, sending Sirius into a loud cursing heap on the ground. "Oh, good. I thought we'd never get there."

The three boys joined Sirius at the end of the stairs- careful not to meet the same fate- and inspected the dusty trapdoor. James heaved his best friend up, and together they lifted the trapdoor and took in their surroundings.

James crawled out first, followed by Sirius, Remus, and then Peter. He looked around the basement-like room, and kicked around a few boxes before figuring they were in some sort of storage area.

The four boys headed up a set of wooden steps, ("Not more _stairs_..."), and snuck through the door that stood at top. They were met with the sugary odor of sweets, and found themselves in none other than Honeydukes. The only people in the store were a lone witch searching the Jelly Slugs and an old clerk resting on a stool and reading from a magazine.

"It's clear," Sirius whispered, "go, go, go!"

They hurried out of the store, and even when Peter tripped over a fully stocked shelf of blood lollipops, no one lifted an eye.

"Ha!" Sirius exclaimed happily, looking around at the empty surroundings with mirth. "We're finally free!"

"Yeah, so what should we do first?" James asked, as the four of them walked along the empty dirt path.

"The pub!" Sirius shouted, rubbing his hands together with excitement.

"It's nine o' clock in the morning," Remus groaned. "You want that... stuff, now?"

Sirius grinned. "Nothing like a good Firewhiskey in the morning, that's what I always say."

James rolled his eyes. "You've never even tasted a drop."

"I thought we were going to get breakfast," Peter put in, trotting to keep up with the other boys.

"Sirius, where are we going to get Firewhiskey anyway?" James asked, ignoring Peter's whines.

"Well from Rosie, of course," Sirius said, rolling his eyes at the obviousness. He smiled proudly and added, "We're tight."

Remus shook his head. "This should be amusing."

"Okay," Sirius said, as he came within several paces of The Three Broomstick's, "let me handle this."

"Gladly," Remus chimed from his left.

"Do they have cakes here?" Peter asked. "Ooh, ask if they've got any cakes.

"Wait," James said, holding a hand out to stop Sirius from entering. "Should we go in there? There's a whole group of hags sitting by the bar."

"So," Sirius shrugged. "They don't know we're supposed to be at Hogwarts. I mean, I've always thought I look rather mature for my age-"

"True, Sirius," Remus agreed, having a rather difficult time of restraining from rolling his eyes, "but just to be safe..."

"Oh fine," he obliged reluctantly. He leaned over and examined the pub from behind the large glass window. "Well I really don't want to throw on the old invisibility cloak. Restricting, that is. Oh look, there's Rosmerta now."

He tapped on the glass as she walked by, causing her to nearly spill the tray of drinks she was holding in surprise.

Turning to find the source of the noise, her big blue eyes widened to their fullest extent as they fell upon the four mischievous boys. "Hullo, Rosie," Sirius mouthed, grinning broadly.

The benign girl gave a small wave, her eyes still friendly through her confusion. Sirius thrust his hands to the left with a big movement, motioning toward the side of the building. Rosmerta gave a slight nod and held up a finger, before turning to deliver the waiting customers their drinks. She held a conversation with the bartender before untying her apron and setting it on a rack, and finally heading out the door. Walking along the side of the pub, she found three boys leaning against the far end of the neighboring store's brick wall, and Sirius anticipating her arrival out front.

"Ah Rosmerta, how are you m'dear?" Sirius bowed before her and clasped her petite hand with a lavish motion.

"Fine," she laughed. She looked at him and over his head at the other boys skeptically. "What are you and your friends doing here, anyway? Don't you kids have school?"

"Kids?" Sirius repeated incredulously, scoffing at her offensive remark. "Rosmerta, darling, we're merely two years apart-"

"Five," she corrected.

Sirius waved his hand. "Details, details." His nonchalant grin twisted into a charming smile. "Now Rosie, what'd ya say we just sit down in a cozy little booth and, oh I don't know, you pour a couple mugs full of Firewhisk-"

"Oh no," she said, shaking her head with realization. "You're not going to get any of that from me."

"Ros_mer_ta," Sirius whined, his feigned suave demeanor replaced by a childish one. "Why not?"

"Because you're _too_ young," she answered, tapping his nose with a smile. An amused expression settled over her face as Sirius pouted further. "Don't give me those puppy eyes,

Sirius," she told him, "trust me, that liquor is much too strong for you."

"Nah, it's not," Sirius said, donning a hopeful expression. "Here, how about I _show_ you-"

"Nope," she interrupted, shaking her head firmly. "Dangerous side effects, I tell you. You could find yourself in the bottom of a strange dungeon if you drink too much of that stuff."

Sirius sighed. "But-"

"No," she repeated firmly. "You're too young, it's too strong, and that's final."

Sirius's lips formed a deep frown. "Fine. I see how it is, Rosmerta..."

"And besides," she said, patting him on the shoulder and whispering in his ear as she walked by, "my uncle's the bartender. I'd never be able to get _anything_ past him."

"So now what do you want to do?" Remus asked, as they distanced themselves from The Three Broomsticks. "Maybe we should put on the cloak and go into the quills-"

"Well we're not giving up on the Firewhiskey, of course," Sirius informed him, throwing James an exasperated expression from behind Remus's back. "There are loads of other possibilities."

Remus frowned. "But you've already been turned down by the pub. What else can you do?"

Sirius shook his head. "You need to expand your mind, Remus."

Remus rolled his eyes and looked over at James. "Can you believe him? We're spending our whole day looking for something that'll probably be disgusting anyway."

James glanced at Sirius before turning to grin at Remus apologetically. "Actually, I can. I want to try it too... why should everyone else be allowed to drink it except us?"

"Ha!" Sirius said, clapping James on the back and sticking his tongue out at Remus. "Knew you'd be with me, mate."

"Fine," Remus resigned. "What do you plan to do, then?"

Sirius grinned. "The Three Broomsticks isn't the only pub in Hogsmeade."

"This is ridiculous," Remus said grumpily. "Remind me again why we're dressing like idiots?"

"Not idiots, Remus," James corrected him. "Goblins. Well, you and Peter are, at least. Sirius and I are manly investigators of the Himalayans."

"That we are," Sirius added croakily (in what he suspected a Himalayan accent might sound like). He stroked the long white beard he'd borrowed from Zonkos for good measure. "And we are doing it to pull our full espionage abilities into play, and fool the steely eyed bartender into giving us our rightly deserved drinks."

"But why do _we_ have to have the ears?" Remus complained. "These pastries are all flaky, and barely match my skin tone."

"That's alright," James reassured. "Once you've got your cloaks on, the shadows will blend them right in. Besides," he added, "You and Peter will be behind Sirius and I."

Sirius nodded slowly, as he fixed his long, floppy, green and blue hat. "Yes, that's- Peter! Stop eating your ears!"

"Well I told you I was hungry," Peter defended, patting his half-bitten ear back on. "Would it have been so hard to pick me up an extra cake?"

"There, I'm done," James announced. He turned around and grinned at his friends. "How do I look?"

Remus examined his wrinkly face, gray hair longer than Dumbledore's, enlarged nose, and the tall, jagged jester's hat he donned. "Great," he supplied dryly, turning back to fix his own disguise.

James sighed and turned to Sirius. "What do you think?"

"I dunno," Sirius shrugged, "what's a manly Himalayan investigator supposed to look like?"

"Good question," James replied. "Well do I look old enough, then?"

"Old enough to buy at least ten drinks, mate," Sirius answered. He looked over his reflection in a broken glass piece they had found in a side alley. "What about me?"

James turned his gaze to critique Sirius's costume. Nodding, he said, "If I saw you walking along the street, I'd wonder where your goat was."

Sirius grinned in approval, and looking around at his odd appearing (and two very grumpy) friends, he declared, "We're ready. Let me just grab my cane, and we'll be off."

James reached out a gold trimmed, cloaked hand to push open the dusty and creaking door. Next to him, Sirius was commenting something about the sign out front not doing anything for his appetite, as Remus and Peter begrudgingly dragged their heavily cloaked figures inside the room.

"Okay," James muttered, "just remember, remain calm and cool." He looked thoughtful. "And old," he added.

The Hogs Head Inn seemed to be abandoned; filthy glasses littered the bar and chairs were turned up onto the tables. After a closer look, a shadowy figure was seated at the far end of the dark room, barely visible at first glance.

The four boys made their way carefully up to the bar, where James and Sirius heaved themselves onto two stools and Remus and Peter stood behind them. Sirius looked at James questioningly before craning his neck in search for the bartender.

They both lifted their fists and pounded on the bar, the dusty glasses quaking in the effect.

Just as they began to thought no one was there, an old and grumbling man staggered into view.

He peered at them with angry eyes, setting his rather large rump on a rickety stool. "What do you want?" he grunted.

"Firewhiskey," James said, in his version of the Himalayan voice. "Four of them."

The bartender scowled as he got out four glasses. The boys watched hesitantly as the man poured the steaming liquid into the disgusting cups, and shoved them over the counter. He held out a palm to collect their money.

James complied, reaching into his bag and setting a few coins into the grumpy bartender's hands. Collecting their glasses, Sirius and James grinned in achievement as they turned around to set off towards a worn-out booth. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

"Argh!" Sirius cried, as Peter tripped on his heavy cloak and grabbed onto Sirius's shoulder.

The two came tumbling down, knocking down James in the process.

"Noo!" Sirius wailed, "save the Firewhiskey!"

James grabbed onto the glasses he had carried, holding on desperately to the contents that had yet to slosh out. Remus stood over them, shaking his pasty-eared head and closing his eyes in disbelief.

"I've got some," James announced happily, sitting up and rubbing his head.

Sirius grinned. "That's..." he trailed off as he saw James's messy raven hair instead of the long white wig. Looking up, his fears were confirmed when the bartender stood hovering above them.

"H-hi," James gulped, as the frighteningly large man stared down at him. He began a hasty explanation. "Well you see, we-"

"Knut," the man grunted his interruption.

Sirius glanced sideways at James. "What?"

The bartender gestured his hand impatiently. "You're short a _knut_."

Sirius looked surprised. "You mean, you don't care we're underage and not really wise and manly Himalayans?" He flinched as James elbowed his side.

The bartender just responded by wiping his mouth with a dirty sleeve and repeating the short change.

Remus quickly took out a knut and shoved it into the man's grubby fist, looking at his three fallen friends and signifying for them to get up. They did so hurriedly, grabbing the Firewhiskey that had survived the fall and rushing out the door.

"Thanks!" Sirius called over his shoulder. He looked down and added, "We'll bring back the glasses.. er- sometime, and-" he cut off as James pushed him through the door.

As they ventured back onto the main street, Sirius looked at James and grinned. "Ready for that Firewhiskey?"

"See," Sirius said proudly, as he and his friends tread the curvy dirt path that served as the main road for Hogsmeade. "I _told_ you I could handle it."

"Right," Remus laughed. "There were barely two sips left after you fell, and of those two sips, none of it stayed in your mouth."

"Yeah, it ended up all over me instead," Peter put in dryly.

"Well that's because I had to sneeze," Sirius stated, rolling his eyes. "If I didn't have a blasted cold, I could've downed that in a second." Looking around at his friend's skeptical face, he added a loud sniff for further emphasis.

"Oh yeah," James agreed, nodding. "Same here. I think my allergies are picking up, or something..."

"Right," Sirius affirmed. He gave a content sigh and a lazy grin. "You know, if we can get away with this, we can get away with _anything_."

James slipped one hand into his robe pocket and waved the other at the empty road before them. "Yes, my friend, and as you can easily see, there is nothing and no one standing in our way."

"Actually, there is," Remus contradicted. "Better get out that cloak, James, there are people coming out of the shop up ahead."

As James pulled out his cloak and threw it over their heads, Peter spoke up. "What are they all looking at?" he asked, staring at the huddled group of witches. "Do you see 'em?"

"I can't tell," Sirius said, standing on the balls of his feet and maneuvering as far as the cloak would allow him to.

James tilted his head. "One way to find out."

As one they moved closer to the unusual scene; a mixture of frantic, hushed, and frightened voices was made clearly audible.

James turned to Sirius with a cocked brow, but Sirius only shrugged a shoulder in return. They inched forward to better hear.

"Such a terrible thing to happen. And they were so well known," one middle-aged witch muttered. "You wouldn't have expected it, wouldn't have expected it at all."

"No you wouldn't have," another lady agreed, nodding her head vigorously before turning to squint at the paper. "I've never heard of him, have you?"

An elder witch shook her head, folding her arms across her chest and heaving a tired sigh. "I'm sure it'll all be dealt with in no time. This Voldemort won't last long, I'm certain."

…

A/N: Sorry guys, it wouldn't be a true L/J story without he-who-must-be-hyphenated. Well I had to introduce him, at least. Thanks so much for all of the lovely reviews, and to **Dulcis** for the quick betaing!


	33. One Determined Lass

Standing There By You

Ch. 33- One Determined Lass

Disclaimer: Let it be known... it's not mine.

A/N: Sorry in advance if this chapter isn't very silly, the mood's a bit dismal over here.

Remus returned to Hogsmeade several days later, but this time it was for much less desireable reasons. The same routine as always followed soon after; his friends gathered together to visit him in the Hospital Wing as soon as the moon left Hogwart's premises, and kept him company as well as up to date on the progress of Project Angimagi.

"Hey Sirius," James beckoned through a muffled yawn. "I think you're wearing my shoe."

Sirius looked down at his feet and frowned as he recognized James's brown shoe against his own black one. "Oh, sorry."

"That's alright," James waved his hand, as Sirius reached to take off the shoe. "I'll just wear yours."

A few minutes later they began their monthly trek to visit Remus, groggily making their way down to the unusually placid common room. That night had been spent collecting and brewing ingredients to further their Animagi Potion, and only an hour of sleep had been managed until they had to get up to visit their friend.

"You think Fluent will notice all of the potion has gone missing?" Peter asked.

James gave a casual shrug. "We filled 'em back up, so he shouldn't care."

"Yeah," Sirius smiled, between bites of an apple he had snatched earlier from the kitchens, "with water."

James tapped on the back of the portrait and it swung open. "Not our problem," he said, as he crawled through and hopped into the hallway. "But class today will prove to be rather amusing."

Grace whistled the tune of Aerosmith's latest hit, Train, as she brushed the knots out of her raven black locks and flipped them into a sloppy pony-tail. Slopping on some chapstick and grabbing her cloak, she made to head out of her dormitory.

"Insidious halfwit!" Lily shouted suddenly, nearly scaring Grace out of her wits. She let out a sigh of relief as she saw her friend's eyes were still closed, and a moment later resumed sleeping.

Rolling her eyes, Grace slinked out of her room and set off down the staircase. Walking quickly through the common room and out the portrait hole, she met a vacant hallway; the atmosphere was a bit mysterious, with musky light from the newly arising sun streaming in through the tall windows. Only light snores that emitted from portraits lining the walls punctured the otherwise eerie silence.

Walking onward towards her destination, she caught a glimpse of her watch and hurried forward, as morning was hastily making its way.

"Do you think he'd like his breakfast before, or after we visit him?" Sirius asked suddenly as they passed by the kitchens.

"Probably after," James replied, "considering he's usually sleeping when we get there." He grinned at Sirius. "You just want some bacon."

"Bacon..." Peter said, licking his lips desireably.

"Or sausage," Sirius added. "Or waffles. Or scrambled eggs. Or french toast. Or-"

"Okay, okay," James cut in. "You're hungry, I get it. But you'll have to wait... it's getting late as it is."

"Fine," Sirius and Peter resigned, pouting slightly.

They walked on in silence for a few moments, until Peter stopped abruptly and shouted, "Pancakes!"

His two friends turned to stare at him, their brows raised questionally. He shrugged sheepishly. "Well you forgot to mention them... and they're my favorite, you know."

Bopping slightly to the rock tune that still lingered in her head, Grace continued down the quiet corridors, pausing only to wave at friendly portraits that were only just rising.

As she came within a close proximity to her sunrise target, she heard muffled muttering several halls ahead, and someone laughing loudly. Quickening her pace, she shortened the distance between herself and the other early morning risers, coming closer with each stride of her long legs.

The lethargic conversation grew louder as she walked faster, and as she turned a corner...

"Ah!" Sirius yelped, as he and another crashed to the hard tiled floor.

"Ugh, Sirius," Grace moaned, rubbing the top of her head where she was sure a large lump was forming.

Sirius brushed himself off and stood up beside his friends. "You should watch where you're going, you know."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, standing up as well. "Sorry, wasn't expecting you to be there."

Sirius jerked his head to look at her, as if just realizing she shouldn't be there. "What are you doing here?" he demanded suspiciously.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she asked, repositioning her fallen cloak.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Grace repeated, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sirius continued, glaring at her. "What are-"

"Well I don't know about you lot," Grace interrupted, collecting her things and preparing to set off down the hallway, "but I've got places to be, people to see..." With that she sent them one last smile before continuing her morning trek down the corridor.

"W-which places?" Sirius asked, hurrying beside her.

"Yeah," said James, rushing to her other side, "and which people?"

"Hospital Wing," she replied shortly, not pausing in her long stride. "And, well... Just people."

James and Sirius snapped their heads to look at one another. "Hospital Wing?" James whispered, his eyes wide in alarm. "Who's she going to visit?"

Sirius frowned. "I don't know, but she'll see him- I... well let's go stop her!"

The two boys bolted down the hallway, Peter trailing and wheezing from his spot where he hurryed behind his athletic friends.

"Grace!" James shouted, catching up quickly. "You- you can't go in there," he said, blocking her way to the corridor that led to the Hospital Wing. "It's infested, I heard..."

Grace nodded her head with mock seriousness. "Oh, well that's okay. My immune level is impeccable."

"No, but-" Sirius tried, as Grace began to walk once more. He looked around wildly for something that could distract her. "Food!" he exclaimed suddenly.

"Food?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. "This early? Are you guys human?"

Sirius crossed his arms and gave an indignant scoff. "_Yes_. It's just we're growing boys and-"

"Sirius, let it go," James said, "look, she's leaving again."

The boys bounded in front of her, just as she was about to turn the corner to the Hospital Wing. "Oh no you don't," James said, standing in front of her with his feet planted firmly on the ground. Sirius stood on one side, and Peter on the other.

"Would you move?" Grace asked irritably. "You're getting rather annoying, you know that?"

"Do you wanna hear a joke?" Sirius asked desperately. "I know a joke. Here, it's about a duck. And- and grapes-"

"I don't want to hear a joke," Grace said flatly, trying her best to duck around the boys, "now go away!"

"Are you _sure_?" Sirius asked, earning a rather frightening glare from Grace.

"Well are you hungry?" Peter asked. "Er.. I mean _now_. It's been a full three minutes, I'll bet you're just ravished by now."

It looked as if Grace was about to put Sirius's beater skills to shame, when all of the sudden her face changed to that of hunger, and she gave a sigh of surrender. "Fine," she said tiredly, taking a step back. "Do you think they've got waffles?"

The three boys gave a collective sigh of relief, as they fell back with her. "Oh definitely," Sirius replied, smiling at James out of the corner of his eye, "they've got quite the selection, too."

"Sounds great," Grace said, perking up a bit. "Syrup and strawberries, do they have those too?"

"Sure do," James responded. "My personal favorite is powdered sugar, though."

"James," Sirius laughed, "blueberries beat powdered sugar anyday."

"I think he's right," Grace said, nodding enthusiastically. "Who eats powdered sugar?"

"Well _I_ do," James replied defensively.

Sirius turned to his friend and patted his arm consolingly. "That's alright, mate. It's not your fault you've got disgusting eating habits."

"I do not!" James shouted, highly affronted at the morning meal mockery. "Blueberries... Disgusting, who eats _those_?"

"Er... you guys?"

"Do you _know_ how high their antioxidant content is?" Sirius retorted. "They're good for you and are incredible anti-agers."

"...Guys?"

"Powdered sugar has no taste to compare-"

"Guys!"

"What?!" James and Sirius shouted, turning their heads to see the caller. They were met with Peter's frustrated face.

"Weren't we trying to _prevent_ her from entering the Hospital Wing?"

"Ay, no!" Sirius exclaimed, as he and James bolted down the hallway. Grace saw them coming and gave a small squeak as they neared closer; she quickened her pace and sprinted towards the entrance.

James barrelled down the hallway with all of his strength, and slid in front of the intruding girl just as she reached out a hand to turn the doorknob.

Sirius arrived soon after, and going at such a high speed, collided into the others and sent them soaring to the ground. James had been a fraction of a second too late, however, as Grace had achieved in twisting the doorknob sending the door slightly ajar.

Knocking her elbow hard against the door, it cracked open, and before either of the boys had a chance to slam it shut, she poked her head inside.

James grabbed her cloak and heaved her out, as Sirius hastily shut the door. "Remus," she managed to verbalize through her heavy gasps for air.

"Yeah," Sirius said, laughing uneasily. "You're er- probably wondering why he's here, and not at his Grandmother's, right?"

"Well it wasn't her that was sick after all," James explained, looking over at Sirius and nodding, "it was his cousin, uh- Jerry, and it turns out that what he had was contagious." Sirius bowed his head solemnly. "The disease was treetologic, rare, very rare, and they got him out of there as soon as they could, because they didn't want him to get sick as well."

"Left just in time," Sirius put in.

"Yes," James nodded. "So.. Remus arrived here, and they immediately rushed him to the Hospital Wing, where they performed tests and..."

"And he discovered he needed a liver transplant," Sirius continued on. He shook his head dismally. "Well, mine was the right type, so I let him have it."

Peter looked over at Sirius's stomach in amazement. "You _did_?"

"_Yes_ Peter," Sirius said, his eyes flashing violently. "Don't you remember?"

"No-"

"Of course he doesn't remember," James quickly recovered, "because after Sirius transplanted his liver, they discovered it wasn't enough, so Peter had to give his kidney."

"What?!" Peter exclaimed, looking down at his own stomach.

"Yes," said James, leaning over to Peter clapping him on the shoulder with admiration. "The surgery went well, but they accidentally gave him a dose more of anesthesia than needed, so Pete here's memory is a bit wavered."

Peter looked down at where he thought his kidney was, and patted it sadly. "Hey, it's okay Pete," Sirius consoled, "you don't need your kidney, anyway."

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Grace put her hand over her heart and shook her head in amazement. "Wow," she breathed, looking at them with a newfound respect. "You're all just so... so... Well it's just indescribable..."

"Yes, well..." James said, puffing up modestly. "We do what we have to do."

"Yeah, I just can't believe," she continued in a raspy and emotionally swollen voice, "I just can't believe... how _daft_ you take me for."

"Huh?" Sirius asked, swerving his head up to look at her. "Daft? No, we're not, what? Never-"

Grace shook her head. "I'm truly insulted," she said, standing up. She rolled her eyes when James and Sirius rushed beside her at the slight sign of movement.

"Why er- breakfast, remember?" Sirius said, stuttering his weak attempts in vain.

Grace put her hands on her hips. "What's _wrong_ with you guys?"

"Well, he just," James turned to Sirius with a hesitant expression, "he just wouldn't want you to see him now, is all."

"Well why not?" Grace demanded, standing on her tip-toes to see above Sirius and through the door's tiny window. "How come you guys are allowed to see him and I'm not?"

"Young lady," a sharp voice called from down the corridor. Everyone's heads snapped in the direction of the voice to see Madame Pomfrey come bustling down the hallway. As she reached the group of kids she sent them an astonished glare. "You're talking much too loud, don't you know where you're at?"

"The Hospital Wing," Grace responded obediently. "Actually, I was just going in..."

"Oh Heaven's no." The young nurse ushered the girl away from the door. "And you children better not see him today either, there's already been enough of a racket, I believe."

"But," Grace persisted, trying her best to get free of Madame Pomfrey's grasp, "no, I just want to-"

"Absolutely not," the nurse shook her head firmly, before snapping the door shut with a click of finality.

"Is everyone against me!?" Grace shouted, lifting her hands up in disbelief.

The three boys looked at one another before nodding their heads collectively. "Argh," Grace yelled, pushing past the boys and stomping down the hallway.

"Phew," Sirius said, leaning against the doorway. "Glad that's taken care of."

"I don't see Pomfrey," James said, tilting his head up to look through the window. "Let's hurry up before she comes out of her office."

The boys quietly crept into the Hospital Wing, going directly to Remus's half covered bed. When they got there, however, he wasn't sleeping at all.

"Who was out there?" he asked, looking up at his friends with worry etched in his face.

"Oh... um," James began, looking over at Sirius for help. "It was just-"

Remus leaned back onto his pillow. "It was Grace, wasn't it? I heard her voice."

"Yup," Peter replied casually, plopping onto the end of the bed. "She's persistent, you know that?"

Remus sank further into his bed. Sirius sat down beside him, and lightly clapped his shoulder. "Aw, buck up, mate," he said, thowing him a broad smile. "It's not like anything happened; she still doesn't know."

"But if she found out..." Remus said, his voice dismally low. He straightened up. "Well... I'll just make sure she doesn't find out, is all. The less I talk to her, the less chance of her knowing, right?"

That evening's dinner proved to be a slightly somber one, as the Headmaster informed the student body of the frightening recent events. Although these words contained caution and trepidation, once the respects were paid, the children went back to their everyday routines. There was, after all, an occassional Wizard-gone-bad, and this they just figured to be another.

"Are you sure?" Lily asked, staring at her friends with lingering hesitance. "I mean, what do we know about this guy? How do we know he's not going to attack us at any given-"

"There's a lunatic in every society, right Lily?" Julie reasoned. Lily nodded so she continued on. "And none of those societies have the powers that we do of stopping them. The Ministry's always been able to catch them before, and don't forget, we'll always have Dumbledore."

"Yeah, I guess..." Lily said, going back to her plate of spaghetti. "Sorry, I'm just not used to this. Aside from your aunt's information, you're not either, right Grace?" The girl seemed to be distracted as she swirled a rather long noodle around and around her prongs. "Grace?"

"Wh- oh, sorry," Grace apologized tiredly, turning her attention back to the table. "What were we talking about?"

"Nevermind," Lily said, diving a fork into her salad. "Could you pass me the dressing?"

Grace was momentarily distracted yet again as a group of familiar boys passed by. "Hi Remus," she said hurriedly, spinning around in her seat and standing to catch up with him. After a slight nod, however, the boy just walked faster, his friends looking after her with mixed expressions.

"Argh," Grace grumbled loudly, plopping hard back onto the bench. "This has been going on _all day_."

"Maybe he's really hungry," Julie suggested doubtfully.

Grace shook her head. "In Charms when I congratulated him on a fantatic essay, he mysteriously spilled his quills and left my side to go pick them up." When Lily opened her mouth to say it could've been simply a coincidence, Grace relayed the rest of the day's events. "In Potions when I asked if he minded if I joined him and Peter for the next assignment, he shook his head and said he prefered working in twos. In Defense-"

"He's probably just nervous..." Lily said, "He always has been, you know."

"Yeah," Grace agreed forlornly. "But this is different." She shook away her gloomy expression and replaced it with a determined one. "Well I'm not just going to sit around and do nothing. I'll find out what's wrong, whether he wants to tell me or not."

"Oy James, we've got to get these," Sirius said excitedly, pointing to an image that lay in their laps. "Do you think we could get the team to go tye-dye?"

"Hey guys," Grace greeted casually as she approached James and Sirius in their usual chairs by the fire.

The boys looked up from the Quidditch Magazine they were currently hunched over. "Hello," Sirius said, before returning to the page on 'Unique Robes and Accessories.'

Grace settled herself on the arm of James's chair and rested her head behind her. She sat watching them for several minutes, before finally speaking up. "I need your help," she informed them matter-of-factly.

Sirius looked up from the Quidditch embellished knickers. "Help? Sure thing. What do you need?"

She flashed a slight grin. "Thanks," she said slowly, dragging out her response. "Alright, I need help with Remus."

"Remus?" James sneaked a glance at Sirius. "Oh... well, afraid we can't help you there..." He mentally sent Sirius a look that said, _quick exit_.

Unfortunately, Grace got the message too.

"Oh no you don't," Grace said, standing up a split second after they prepared to bolt.

"Terribly sorry, Grace," Sirius said, twisting left and right in hopes to duck past her, "we just can't help you."

"Uh-uh..." Grace grabbed the boys' robes and shoved them hard, causing them both to collectively fall back into their chairs. She stood determinedly above them, placing hands on her hips and shooting a imperiling glare in their direction. "Remus is avoiding me and I need your help; I've got to talk to him."

James lifted a hand to scratch his head. "Avoiding you?" he asked lightly, turning to Sirius in feigned confusion. His friend gave a bewildered shrug in return. "Nope, not a clue what you're talking about."

"Don't pull that with me," Grace growled, leaning forward to shorten the menacing distance. "You know as well as I do that he's avoiding me."

"Grace," Sirius laughed, "we really don't know what you're..." he trailed off as the portrait hole swung open and a sandy-haired boy entered the room.

Remus looked up and scanned the common room's contents. Finding James and Sirius in their usual chairs, he smiled, but upon realizing Grace was there with him, his eyes widened and his smile quickly dissapeared.

"Why hello, Remus," Grace said loudly.

Remus looked back at the her and mumbled something about being late for Herbology, before hastily retreating back into the halllway.

"See," Grace declared, swiveling back around to face James and Sirius.

Sirius grimaced. "Oh that... that was nothing, you see..."

"Yeah," James nodded his head reassuringly. "Remus was just late for Herbology."

Grace sighed. "Classes ended four hours ago."

Shaking his head at the rotten luck, Sirius winced. "Right."

"So you'll help me, then?" Grace asked hopefully.

James and Sirius glanced at one another, silently deliberating their response. After a few head jerks, motions of the eyes, and slight grunts, they turned to face the anticipating girl. "We'll help."

A/N: Please don't yell at me about Remus... Please...

Lily Skylo- Urgh.. yeah, your review wasn't sent to me and I saw it on the review board _after_ I submitted the chapter, so sorry about that. Anyway, good guess about the lid! Surprisingly, no one else even mentioned it! I'll keep you updated if I see Mr. Black, thanks for the review, ta ta!

RnB Diva Gurl- Yeah, I also missed your review. Sorry 'bout that. Well... about Lily and James not having any romance yet... in the HP books, Sirius says James finally changed in seventh year, and in the OotP (Snape's Worst Memory) it has them (Lily and James) fighting and such.. and I'm trying to stay as true as possible to the books, so I can't have them get together immediatly. They'll be other romance though, promise.

Siriusismine- Lol, glad you liked it ; ) Thanks for the review!

Gaby-Malfoy- Oh good, I'm glad you got the review. You're going to London!? That's so cool! That's all right, don't rush your writing. I'm glad you laughed, thanks so much for the review!

ImperishableStars- Wow! ::sigh:: your reviews are just so utterly fantastic! Yeah... unfortunately he was around... what if I just didn't put him in? Just like.. never. That'd be funny. Sorry, I amuse myself ; p Thanks sooo much for the review! Oh wait... "Once again your story has hit the mark on...doing things...right...myes..." What's myes?

Oksana- What can I say? I'm one tough chick to keep up with. Thanks for the review!

Emma jo- Hey! Are you saying my story's obnoxious?! Should I expect a banner to come falling down from my ceiling now? Lol... how long did it take for you to write it backwords? Took me quite awhile...

Pline- Gasp.. I know. Scary stuff. Thanks for the review!

Sapphire039- Hehe, funny you say the 'quest for Firewhiskey', that was part of a possible chapter title. They're hard to make after awhile, you know? Running short on creative juices, I suppose. Thanks as always for your review!

Secret Lily- Yes, it has been Sirius and Grace since the beginning... I did that on purpose, I wanted to add a little element of surprise ; ) Sirius is a nice character to work with, definitely one of my favorites. Thanks for the review!

Jess- Hehe, it would be fun to draw them in their disguises. Wish I could draw... : ) Glad you liked it, thanks for the review!

Oliverwoodschic- Oh don't worry, that's not the end of the Firewhiskey scenes ; ) I just thought them getting drunk in fourth year was a bit much. Drunk Sirius... hehe. Thanks for the review : )

Molly- Did you call me a pig? Did _you_ call me a _pig_?! ::snort:: well I am one... you know I ate practically a whole bag of Doritos last night? Yeesh. It's okay, I work it off in tennis. : ) Sirius is awesome at "strutting his stuff," and you will see much more of it! Thanks for the review, tootles!

L.M. Robertson- Thanks for the review, you motivate me more and more with each one!

Zayne- ::sigh:: I know, drinking is bad. I should've put a warning to not try this at home, or something. But... do you really think Sirius went through all of his years at Hogwarts without trying a _tad_ of Firewhiskey? hehe, thanks for the review!

EW4eva- Glad I could inspire you, and glad you liked the chapter so much! Congrats on reading the book, which was it?

SiriusJamesRemus'sgirl- Random snogging session? Sirius would _never_ have one of those. Hmm.. okay, he would. Unfortunately (for you, hehe) I already have a couple other people lined up for cameos, but as soon as a slot opens up, I'll letcha know!

Dance-flirt- Hehe, not your fault about the review! Sorry you thought the chapter was hard to follow, it works in my head sometimes, but not well for others. ; ) Thanks for the review! Triple yay.

FreckledIrishMaiden- Took me awhile to figure out what you were referring to about the Mudblood part, and yes, James probably would've done something, but when I was writing I just meant for you to assume he hadn't arrived to class yet. He's our galliant hero, and would never leave a poor maiden in distress, now would he? Lol, thanks for the review!

MilesFromNormal- I'm glad you liked it so much (and my A/N, hehe) Himalayan men... I really don't know where these things come from. Scares me, sometimes.

Ninde Annare- Hehe, I'm glad you think so! Thanks so much for your review, much appreciated as always!

MidnightPrincess- Well, for the most part I just wanted to give Voldemort an introduction. It's not going to get all dark or anything, but he has to play a part sooner or later. Guess you'll just have to read to find out!

MissBlueAngel- Yes, the old man was Dumbledore, lol. Sorry if I confused you. Thanks for the review!

RSB-Raven Sirius Black- Hehe, amusing review. But... If James, Remus, and Sirius were holding on to you, would you _really_ want them to let go? ; )   
  
Dulcis- Ay, it's okay. We both had a twiggy moment. Me with the 'he', and you with the 'must'. We're both geniouses in my mind.

Emma jo- Vacation was pretty good, I went to South Carolina. Thanks for asking! Hm... Sirius and James locking them in a closet? Muwhahahaha.

Curiousknowitall- Aw, it touches me that you check so often for my story : ) I tried to update sooner, hope you enjoyed!

Ieyre- Hehe, glad you thought it suit them well. You're one of the only people that were happy with the situation! Some were mad they didn't get drunk and go hog wild, and others tutted the underage drinking. ::sigh:: You can never please everybody.. but at least I pleased you!

Jounin-Elite- What kind of review was _that_? Tsk tsk, now you're going to have to wait forever and ever until your cameo. ::Deletes name and replaces it at the bottom:: : p


	34. Goodness Gracious

Standing There By You

Ch. 34- Goodness Gracious

Disclaimer: Let it be known... It's not mine.

A/N: Okie doke, first off, when I was replying to a reviewer I said it was 'Sirius and Grace' from the beginning.. but yeah, definitely didn't mean that the way several of you perceived it, so I'm sorry for any confusion! (I tend to do that a lot, don't I? Confuse, that is.)

Remember, if you have any questions or just want to talk, e-mail me : )

"I have _wonderful_ dimples."

"James," Peter whined, "we're _supposed_ to be playing chess!"

"But I mean," he continued on, peering into the mirror that lay propped up on the side of their dresser, "they're astonishing, really." He tilted his head to the right. "I've never noticed..."

Peter rolled his eyes and moved his chess piece. "Your turn," he told him, waiting anxiously for his next move.

"Right, right," James waved his hand impatiently. With a huff, he quickly turned to the chess board and brushed his piece across it carelessly, before turning back to the mirror. "And this lip. It's quite full, don't you think?"

"Mmm-hmm," Peter mumbled, scanning the chessboard to view his best possible move.

"But not too full," he quickly amended. "You know... I'm starting to see why so many girls want me. I'm _extraordinarily_-"

"Ha!" Peter burst out happily, knocking James's piece off the board. "I'm beating you!"

"What?" James snapped his head back to witness the game. "Oh... Well, that's only because... Because I need absolute silence to let my brilliance soar free."

"Right," Peter scoffed, leaning against James's bedpost as he anticipated his next move. "Nobody was even talking. Well, except for you." He frowned. "To yourself."

"Not uh," James shook his head, "Remus was."

Peter looked over to their friend, who currently sat hunched over a long parchment, scribbling things down and scanning it repeatedly. He turned back to James. "He's not talking."

James made a face. "He's _mumbling_."

"No I'm not," Remus muttered, not looking up from his desk.

"See," James tilted his head towards Peter, "he just did it again."

Peter sighed. "Well no one's talking now, so go on and make your move."

James reached out a hand to move his piece, but then retreated it and looked up at Peter. "He's doing it again, do you hear him?"

"No," Peter sighed, as Remus turned around to raise his eyebrows at James.

"I'm not mumbling. You're just-"

"Blast it, no chance of getting any decent chess playing tonight," James announced, standing up and yawning loudly. "But all this talk about food is making me hungry, what'd you say we take a trip to the kitchens?"

Peter turned to Remus. "Were we talking about food?"

"Come on, let's go," James said, falling onto the bed beside him. "Coming, Sirius?"

Sirius rolled over. "No."

James arched a brow. "Are you _sure_, Sirius?" When he got no response from his friend, he poked him hard in the back. "What'd you say we all take a trip to the kitchens..."

"Nah," Sirius declined, his voice muffled by his pillow, "you go on."

James blinked. "Sirius-"

"And bring me back a piece of Shepherd's pie, would you?" Sirius requested.

Remus looked up. "Same for me."

"No, why don't we _all _take a trip to the kitchens?" James stared meaningfully at his immobile friend.

This, of course, had no effect, seeing as the only thing in Sirius's view was the burgundy cover of his pillow.

"Sirius, you dolt!"

"Well don't get your knickers in a bunch," Sirius said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes groggily.

James put his face in his hands. "I think we should go to the kitchens."

"That's obvious."

James peered at him through a hole in his intertwined fingers, and motioned with his eye pointedly. "It's _Wednesday_."

"Great day, really."

"It's nearly _twelve o' clock_."

"Intriguing."

"Sirius!" James exclaimed. "Don't you-"

Sirius's toothy grin stretched suddenly across his face, his dormant expression gone in a flash as he flipped his bed-swept hair out of his eyes and hopped up beside James. "Just messin' with ya, mate," he said, clapping him hard across the head as he paraded towards the door. "Come on Remus, Peter, let's go to the kitchens."

"Oh, I don't think so," Remus said, shuffling several parchments. "I think I'm going to-"

"Don't make us carry you," Sirius warned, smiling deviously at the reluctant boy.

Remus frowned and finally set his quill aside, mostly because he knew his friends would actually resort to carrying him if they wanted to... and last time they had dropped him on the top stair. "Alright," he said, rubbing his head reminiscently. "I'm coming."

"But what about the chess game," Peter whimpered.

"Yeah, I'll let it go this time," James smiled modestly. "But you'd better be ready for the next game."

Ignoring Peter's protests, he trooped down the stairs along side Sirius. The others followed their lead down the steps and through the common room. Just as they got to the portrait, however, Sirius redirected his path a bit.

Turning swiftly around, Sirius bolted back up to their dormitory, James following closely behind as he dragged Peter with him.

Remus whirled around to see his hastily retreating friends. "What?" he asked, bewildered by the sudden disappearing act. "What are you guys doing?"

His only response was the slam of the dormitory door.

He stared at the empty stairwell with a blank expression, before shaking his head and making his way after them.

He reached out a hand to open the door, but found it hindered by a lock. Still utterly confused, he lifted a hand and knocked on the door. Only silence followed.

"Very funny guys," Remus said wearily. "You can let me in, now."

There was a muffled sound of rustling, and then Sirius spoke up. "We don't speak English."

Remus groaned. Readjusting his stance, he responded, "Ouvres la porte."

More silence, and then, "Remus speaks Spanish?"

"No," James responded, "I think that was Dutch."

"It was French," Remus grumbled. He lifted a fist and pounded harder on the door. "Let me in!"

Sirius paused. "Who's asking?"

The boy heaved a huge sigh. "Remus," he said between gritted teeth.

"Remus who?"

"Remus Lupin, you insolent-"

"We don't know any Remus Lupinyouinsolents, sorry. Now we're going to put a Silencing Charm on the door, so don't bother knocking."

Remus gave a shout of frustration, banging repeatedly on the old wooden door. After a few minutes of this, he realized they _had_ actually cast the Charm, and gave up with a tired sigh.

Sometimes they were just too much for him, he thought wearily, leaning against the railing. He stared hard at the door, as if willing it to open, but apparently he lacked in telekinesis because the door remained still.

"Hello, Remus."

It's a good thing he was holding onto the railing, otherwise the jolt Grace had gave him would've surely sent him flying.

He was in quite the predicament, he decided. To his left was the very girl he'd been trying his best to avoid, and to his right were his irksomefriends and a tightly locked door.

He let out a nervous laugh. "I was just heading to the kitchens," he informed her, ducking his head and hurrying to slide past her. He didn't get very far, however, before she joined him on the midnight quest and down the staircase.

"I'll go with you, then," she told him. "I'm actually a bit hungry myself."

Remus stopped walking immediately. "Oh, you know, now I feel immensely tired... I think I'm going to go-"

"No," Grace said firmly, her cheerful mood now replaced by a defiant one. "You're _not_ getting away this time."

Remus looked from side to side, hoping he showed a confused expression. "What do you mean..."

Grace narrowed her eyes. "You've been avoiding me."

"I- I haven't-"

Grace gave a frustrated huff. "Yes, you have. Whenever I enter the room you hurry out, and whenever I try to talk to you, you throw me an excuse and start up a pointless conversation with someone else!" She looked up and her voice softened. "Remus, what's wrong?"

Remus started determinedly down at the floor. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Grace studied his face awhile, before dropping her gaze as well. "If I was bothering you, you could've just-"

"No," Remus interjected quickly. "You weren't ever bothering me, it's just..." he trailed off, and looked at her with an expression she could not discern. "I'm doing you a favor, all right? You've just got to trust me. If you knew- if, if-"

Grace stared at him though squinted eyes of frustrated confusion, when all of the sudden her eyes widened with realization and her mouth dropped open. "Oh my Word..." she mumbled, "you're- you're doing this because you're a _werewolf_?"

"W-what?" Remus sputtered. "You- what, how?"

She waved her hand aside. "Well you're gone once a month, I doubt your mum lives in a tree, let alone the Whomping Willow, and you couldn't pass me the silver dish in Potions."

Overwhelmed was an overstatement for the face he donned. "So why- so you and Julie and Lily, you all know-"

Grace shook her head. "No. Well, not that I know of, anyway."

"But... How did only you figure it out?"

Grace gave a small shrug. "I was worried, I guess."

After a few more minutes of insane stuttering, and then eventually silence, Remus looked up at her with something that resembled wonder. "You're still talking to me."

Grace, however, did not share this look.

"Of course I am!" she shouted, her face now screwed up in anger. "I- I just, how could you even _think-_"

"Oh no, I didn't mean..." Remus tried weakly to calm her down.

"You know, you know, I don't even see how you could-"she stopped her infuriated rambling and took a trembling breath. "What do you take me for then, eh? A prejudice-"

"No," Remus protested, "I just thought-"

"Just thought what?" she demanded. "Why would you assume _anyone_ would care about something like that?"

"Because people do," he answered simply, retreating slightly in fear she'd explode.

"What?" she asked, her eyes running up and down his face as she lingered in a confused state of mind. "Who?"

"A school, two towns, and a girl in the year below us," he responded quietly, hesitantly meeting her eyes.

Grace stared back at him. After a few moments she let out a deep breath and she sunk low into a couch beside her. "Oh," she said softly.

Remus nodded mutely and silence followed this revelation, while Grace twisted her hair with one hand, and fingered a pair of orange and green bracelets she wore with the other. Remus found himself watching her, and turned away quickly when she looked back up.

"Remus," she began, bringing his eyes up to hers with her own intense gaze. "You have to know that I'm not- I'm not like everyone else, all right?" He nodded, so she continued on. "I don't care about what other people think, or if you're different, and especially not that you're plagued with lycanthropy..."

Grace touched Remus's shoulder; suffocation seemed a very near and real possibility as Remus mysteriously lost the ability to breathe. "You know, you're just... you're such a fantastic person, Remus, and anyone judging you is complete bullocks. And- and I think you need to realize that anyone who doesn't give you a second thought because of something you can't even help, doesn't deserve to be in your thoughts, either."

For the first time Remus was able to brush aside the fact that he was staring at the girl he had fancied for too many years to count, and relaxed in her near presence. "Thanks," he whispered earnestly.

Grace nodded, but in an instant her expression darkened. "Who was the girl?" she implored, her eyes displaying the dangerous glint they had before.

"What?" Remus asked, a bit taken aback at the abrupt change of behavior. "What girl?"

"The girl in the year below us," she clarified, "you know, the one you mentioned before..."

"Oh," Remus nodded comprehendingly. He opened his mouth to reply Lamar, but then quickly shut it. "No one," he answered instead.

"It wasn't 'no one'," Grace insisted. "I'm sure you'd remember."

Remus eyed Grace's clenched fists and frightening expression. Smirking slightly, he said, "For fear of her life, and your potential expulsion, I'm not going to tell you."

Grace placed on a reluctant smile and loosened her grip on the sofa cushion. "Fine," she sighed.

A rather uncomfortable lapse of silence followed, sending Remus into an awkward set of throat clearings, and Grace staring at something behind Remus's ear. Finally, Grace broke it by standing up and announcing the time.

"Right, right, sure is late," Remus commented, standing up beside her.

Grace nodded. "Yeah, late..." After neither made a move to leave for several seconds, she reached down and grabbed a fallen bracelet. "Well I'll see you later then, Remus," she said, starting towards her staircase, "Goodnight."

"Night," Remus called back weakly.

His mind raced as she ascended further up the staircase. He should go after her. Shouldn't he go after her? Of course he should go after her. His feet seemed suddenly made of led, however, as he made to follow her and nothing happened.

For a few moments he was sure this had been a prank, like the one in the Owlery where his feet had been charmed to the floor, because his feet were definitely immobile.

Grace's raven hair shook as she turned the staircase, causing Remus to will his feet even harder. There he was, teetering in the spot he stood frozen, sure that some sort of force was against him. Finally, just as he heard the creak of the last step, all the energy he had pent up fighting with himself came rushing out, as he bounded after Grace and up the staircase.

Unfortunately, he forgot a very crucial fact of Hogwarts.

Hastily taking his foot off the step, he realized it was too late as Grace let out a small yelp and came tumbling backwards down the transformed stone slide. This wouldn't have been too bad if she had been expecting it, or descending the staircase, but unfortunately she had been neither, and the odd position she had obtained at the top of the stairs as she heard Remus coming proved to be very hazardous indeed.

She cursed gravity as the one foot she had been balancing on didn't last for long and bent at a very awkward- and painful- position beneath her. It didn't help matters when Remus didn't have the sense to move, and she collided into him at the bottom of the staircase.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Remus apologized profusely, disentangling himself from Grace and quickly backing away. "I'm so sorry, oh, I-"

"S'ok," she said, brushing away his apologies. "Not your fault you forgot about the staircase."

"Right," Remus said, exhaling a huge sigh of relief at the fact she wasn't angry. He stood up and brushed himself off. If he hadn't of been so nervous, the situation might actually of been funny.

He looked down at Grace and waited for her to follow suit. A minute or so passed by, and she still sat on the ground, making slight movements but otherwise remaining still.

"Er... Remus," she said finally, looking up at the confused boy. "I can't get up."

"What?" he asked, "Oh, do you want me to help you?"

"Er, well..." Grace smiled weakly and lifted the edge of her robe. Remus cringed as a swollen and abnormally shaped bump, concealed only by her thin knee sock, came into view.

"Oh Merlin," he mumbled in disbelief. "Oh... do you want me to.. er, I don't know healing charms or anything... the nurse, do you want to go the Hospital Wing, or..."

"Nah," she waved a hand, "I can tough it out. Just give me a hand, would you?"

"Oh, oh of course," Remus said quickly, reaching out for both of her hands and lifting her up gently. She put half her weight on Remus's shoulder, wobbling on one foot and testing the other. "Here," he said, beginning to guide her to her dormitory. Grace resisted a bit at the aide, but gave in as he continued to walk on. "I'll just-"

"No!" Grace wailed. In an instant the same scene had played over, and even though Remus just tipped the bottom step subconsciously, it set him off balance and for a moment their feet even flew over their heads, as they fell back onto the common room floor.

"Remus," she whispered, her voice strained through the pain of her ankle, "you've _got_ to stop doing that."

"I know, I'm sorry- I just can't think straight," he said, scrambling next to her. "Oh, that looks.. not good," he gulped, as he examined her ankle. "Can- can you stand up at all, or..."

Grace nodded her head as she grabbed onto Remus and heaved herself up. She let out a small yelp and fell back quickly onto the floor, tears of pain springing to her eyes. "No..." she grimaced, "guess I can't."

"I'll take you to the Hospital Wing," Remus said, looking around frantically as if a random stretcher would pop up out of nowhere. "Erm..."

"No... that's okay," Grace shook her head. "Just, take me to that couch, would you?"

Remus nodded and bent down next to her awkwardly. Since walking was not a near possibility, he hesitantly slipped an arm under her neck and knees, and lifted her off the ground. Stumbling quickly across the common room, he set her on the couch and retreated his hands immediately, letting out a huge breath at the completed task.

"Hey," she said indignantly, pushing herself up with her elbows. "Don't breath heavily like that, it's as if you're insinuating I was too heavy for you."

"Oh no," Remus hurriedly explained, "no I wasn't-"

Grace gave a slight grin as she settled back into the couch. "Oh lighten up Remus, I was only joking."

Remus emitted a short "Oh," and tried his best to smile back. He glanced around, his eyes falling on her sock covered injury. "It could be broken," he said, his voice filled with concern. "You know, Madame Pomfrey could fix it up in an instant-"

"Uh-uh," Grace shook her head. "I detest doctors. It'll heal by itself, I'm sure."

"Healers are different than doctors," he persisted. "And Madame Pomfrey's really good, you'll see."

"No." Grace crossed her arms stubbornly. "I just need to sleep it off."

"Well, I can't just leave you here..." Remus stated, staring uneasily at the adamant girl before him. His eyes lit up as an idea sparked in his mind; he pulled off his top layer of robes and unfolded the material to reveal his wand. Bunching the black material in one hand, he held his wand in the other and muttered a quick freezing charm. The robe turned a frosty pale blue, hardening with a thin layer of ice yet still flexible enough to move.

Grace watched with interest as he ever-so-carefully wrapped the ice like garment around her tender ankle, tucking the excess ends into the cushion beneath her. "Is that all right?" he asked cautiously, looking critically over his makeshift work.

"Yeah," Grace nodded, sinking lower into the couch. "Feels much better."

Remus nodded in return, shifting uncomfortably on his feet as he watched her settle further into the couch, unsure if he should leave her alone or not.

"I'll be fine," Grace answered his un-asked question. "You go on and get some rest, it's getting really late, and I'm about to fall asleep anyway."

"All right," Remus said, quickly tucking the iced robe in further so it wouldn't come loose. He tilted his head at her before turning around and heading towards his staircase.

He only stepped onto the bottom stair, however, before lingering a few moments and then finally turning back towards Grace. "Are you sure you don't need anything else?" he asked.

"Mmm hmm," Grace said sleepily. "Positive."

"Okay," Remus nodded. He had only lifted another foot up the staircase, before twisting back around. He opened his mouth and his words came out rather quickly, as if they'd been tumbling inside for quite awhile. "I know I broke your ankle and all," he rambled, cringing at his own words, "but, well you didn't even say if you um- were the same, and I'm not quite sure if you do, or if you were just being- you know, but well... I hear butterbeer is really, really quite good for the healing process... um, not that, you know... just a quick healer, and... well..."

A smile traced the corners of Grace's lips. "I'd love to go to Hogsmeade with you, Remus."

Remus's jaw dropped open. "Really?" he asked, unable to mask his astonishment.

"Really," she nodded. Suppressing a bout of laughter, she continued, "How could I not? What with butterbeer being such a good healer, and all."

"Right," he agreed, mentally applauding himself for the sudden burst of genius. A broad smile spanned across his face and he turned to hurry back up the staircase. "Well, goodnight then," he bid happily.

Grace smiled after him as she watched him scramble up the stairs, and disappear higher and higher until he reached his dormitory.

The grin had still not left his face as he climbed the last stair. Nothing could ruin his mood, he thought cheerfully, as he reached out his hand to open the door.

"I don't hear anything," Sirius whispered. He currently stood smashed against the door, his ear pressed hard below the handle. "Do you think they're snogging?"

James shrugged, setting his glasses on the nightstand and climbing into bed. "Flick off the lights, would you?"

Sirius straightened up and frowned at the door. Shrugging as well, he obliged James and flopped onto his own bed, muttering a quick, "G'night," before falling into a deep slumber himself.

"Guys..." Remus called weakly, knocking his head woefully against the doorway. Sighing, he leaned against the rail and ticked off his options. He could stay here all night, pounding on the door in vain, curl up and try to fall asleep on the hard and rickety stairwell, or go back downstairs into the common room.

Really, _really_ tough decision.

A/N at the Bottom

L.M. Robertson- Thanks : ) Your reviews always make me feel soo good, and they really do inspire me to write faster. Thanks again!

Asterisk- I wonder... How long it'll take you to find out it's you. Hmm... I'll give you a clue. You're a juggle that's insanely afraid of hyphens. That'll do, genious, that'll do.

Dreamlessnights- Ugh, I know how that goes (lack of words, that is) Sorry you can't keep up with me, lol. Thanks for the review!

FreckledIrishMaiden- Yes, it does suck when someone avoids you. Poor, poor Grace. Oh by the way, it's fourth year : )

RavenSiriusBlack- I can always count on your reviews to be... unique. : ) Thanks mucho! Ah, when I'm writing this it's Thursday, so Happy Birthday!!

MidnightPrincess- Ha. Ha. You're a funny girl, funny, funny girl. : p Thanks for the review!

MilesFromNormal- Aw, that review tops the charts! Thanks bunches, I really, really appreciate it. You have a great ability to write, too, and that's why I enjoy your story so much : ) ::sigh:: I can't believe you're nearing your last chapter... do you plan to start any other stories? (Besides a sequel)

Misakichi1- Yes, she's very, very confused. But also quite brilliant ; ) Thanks for the review!

Ninde Annare- Hello! As always, thanks for your wonderful words!

Jess- J. K. Rowling... I'm flattered to be compared ; ) Thanks for the awesome review! (See you at tennis...)

Dance-flirt- Whoops, sorry to confuse you like that. I say one thing... and mean another... yeah, you get the picture. Or do you... Ah well, hope it's all cleared up now! Thanks loads for the review, nice and long, too. : )

Curiousknowitall- Aw, I would be disappointed too ; ) I'm glad you like the lengthiness, thanks mucho for the review!

Secret Lily- I'm glad you think so : ) Thanks a lot for the brilliant review!

Zayne- Lol, I like powdered sugar on my waffles too! It's just the first thing that came to mind. Poor James, : ) Thanks for the review!

Sarah Warder- Thanks (as always) for your wise words ; ) Oh, and thanks for the review, too.

Sapphire039- Yupyup, I wish I was like her, too. Oh, about the Marauder's Map, if I remember correctly, they made in their fifth year. Thanks for the review!

Imperishable Stars- Myes, he is quite the cutie... Did I use it right? Did I? Hehe.. yay, new words. Thanks for the review!

Oliverwoodschic- Sometimes it's the smart ones that are stupid, and the stupid ones that are smart. Ah yes, wise words. Use them... er, wisely. Thanks for the review!

Lanette- Well, at least I warned you ; ) Thanks for the review!

FairyPrincess13- Oh boy, sorry for your dislikingness. Can't please everyone, now can we? : p Hmm... what does the stew remind you of?

Ieyre- My sentiments exactly. I mean... they're the Marauders... and Sirius is supposed to be all daring and rash. Psht. That's what I say. Psht. Thanks for the review!

Espergirl04- Grace power! Woo... hehe sorry about that. Yes, your review described _exactly_ what was going on : ) Thanks sooo very, very much!

Dark Blossem- Hello! Welcome to the world of fanfiction : ) I'm glad you like my story, and I hope you continue to stay with me, thanks loads for the review!!

Siriusismine- Hehe, I'm glad you liked the duck joke ; ) Thanks mucho for the review, I just love 'em!

A/N: Hello, all! My mood's perked up a bit since last update, which is lucky cause next chapter is rather light. Now... Anyone who's questioned the Remus/Graceness of it all, I must just say I hope you see why I've done it this way... _No_ other girl (in my story, anyway) would've been that er... persistent, and Grace was just what he needed to snap out of it. Thanks for reading, love ya bunches ; )


	35. Several Sticky Situations

Standing There By You

Ch. 35- Several Sticky Situations

Disclaimer: How many chapters do you think necessary before I don't need one of these anymore? I suppose I should play it safe... Didn't own it, still don't own it, never will own it.

A/N: Yikes, sorry about the long waiting period. I went to Pennsylvania over the weekend, and tennis just about killed me this week. Sadly, I've yet to even crack open my summer reading, so that may hinder the rest of this summer's future updates. Please don't be angry if I let an occasional week pass between updates, but sometimes there just isn't enough time for everything. Psht. Real life, who needs it.

* * *

Sirius shook with laughter, pounding his fist with one hand against the bricks and with the other he supported himself from falling. 

"Shut up," Remus grumbled, grinning good naturedly.

Sirius sobered up some, placing his hands on his knees and turning to face Remus. "You _broke_ her _ankle_?" he chortled, wiping away tears of laughter.

Remus's grin swiftly changed into a frown. "Twice," he informed him sullenly.

"It's all right, mate," James said, clapping his friend on the back. "All that matters is that you got a date to Hogsmeade."

"You takin' anyone, James?" Sirius asked, pushing himself off of the wall with his elbows.

James nodded. "That Tanner girl from Ravenclaw. She was on my Defense team last year."

"Ah, right," Sirius inclined his head, "So-"

He cut off as two blurs whizzed passed him, the only sound they emitted coming out as a high pitched sort of buzz. They kept on going, soaring right past them and into the corridor straight around the corner, landing into the wall with a loud smack.

James looked around with bulged eyes. "What was _that_?"

"You don't think it was a Hinkypunk, do you?" Peter asked worriedly, shifting behind a near corner.

Sirius shrugged and the boys (excluding Peter, who was _certain_ it was a pair of Hinkypunks) took several strides in the other direction, to see what had flown passed them.

"Whoa..." the brunette said dizzily, taking an unbalanced step off the ground. A large bump where her head had made contact with the wall was quickly rising, and her brown hair lay ruffled messily around it. Straightening out her fuzzy purple sweater, she looked up and waved a tinkling wave at the boys before her.

"_Val_," a voice whined underneath her. Angie lay crumpled on the ground, an escaped pink high-healed shoe strewn on the floor and her bright pink skirt twisted in the wrong direction. Val gave the boys another quick smile before turning to help her up. The girl stumbled up dizzily, her eyes still fixed in a cross-eyed state. Val bit her lip when she saw this, and smacked the back of her head to rid of the ungraceful expression.

Angie teetered a bit at the whack, but then leaned against the wall and steadied herself . "Oh," she gasped, looking down at her hands. "I broke a _fingernail_!"

"Never mind that, Angie," Val whispered, poking her elbow into the girl's stomach. Her friend scowled and rubbed her stomach pitifully, before lifting her head and seeing the Marauders. A dazzling grin soon replaced her scowl.

"Are you... all right?" Sirius asked slowly.

"Uh-huh," Val said dreamily. She pulled the usual eyelash batting routine, tilting her head to this side and that, (like she'd seen the supermodels do, of course).

After awhile Sirius moved his head to tilt in accordance to hers. "Are," tilt, "you," tilt, "sure," tilt, "you're," tilt, "all right?"

"Totally," she sighed.

James raised an eyebrow and turned his head to the other girl. "Why were you running so fast?"

"Weeell," Angie began slowly, taking an uneven step toward the inquiring boy. She looked back at Val and giggled. "We just wanted to ask you to Hogsmeade, before anyone else does."

"Oh, rotten luck, ladies," Sirius said, shaking his head and grinning apologetically. "We're already taken."

The girls' expressions fell, as they turned towards one another with matching looks of gloom. They ducked their heads and gathered their fallen possessions, both emitting pouting whines as they reached for each object.

"Eh, perk up ladies!" Sirius exclaimed, draping an arm around each of their shoulders. Val responded by going dangerously limp, and Angie by shrugging his arm off and pulling on James's instead. "There'll always be other Hogsmeade trips, after all."

Both girls nodded fervently in agreement. "Right then, we'll see you later," Sirius said, releasing his arm from her shoulders and sending them a charming grin.

Next to him, James tried retrieving his as well, but Angie clutched onto his other hand hurriedly, disabling him to do so. James frowned and looked to Sirius for help, tugging his arm harder with each yank. "Oh- okay," Sirius cut in, wrenching off Angie's hand with all his might. She reluctantly let go, and James cringed at the marks her long nails had left upon him.

"Bye then!" Val called, grasping Angie's hand and pulling her across the hallway.

"Bye," James and Sirius responded cheekily, turning back to their other friends as the girls giggled their way down the corridor. Sirius winked. "This year should be entertaining."

"It shall," James agreed, stuffing his hands in his pockets as they followed the girls' lead and continued down the hallway. He turned around. "Coming, Remus?"

Remus nodded as he yanked Peter from behind the corner, tiredly explaining there weren't any Hinkypunks, there were never any Hinkypunks, and there never will be any Hinkypunks in the Hogwart's hallways.

* * *

Julie fell back onto her bed with a heavy sigh, holding her hands out above her for a dramatic effect. She watched as Grace sat perched on top of a dresser, tapping her feet impatiently; an uneven beat against the rich mahogany. 

Julie felt the side of the bed sink beneath her and looked up to see Lily had flopped on beside her. "What's the matter?" Lily asked, peering at Julie from above the pillow she was hugging tight.

"Oh, hurry and close the bed curtains," Julie instructed, her eyes wide with a foreboding sense. "The fumes," she whispered, "they'll get in."

Lily smiled and quickly and complied her order. It was true, due to their roommates recent discovery of The Shopping Network, the room had been filled with an odor that only an over usage of hairspray could supply. They insisted the 'Muggle stuff' was much more effective than any magic.

"Oh would you hurry up," Grace's exasperated voice shouted from her spot on the dresser. "You've been in there for _hours_."

Lily smirked as she leaned over and whispered loudly to Julie. "I think someone's nervous..."

Julie stifled a giggle and made to respond, when an angry face appeared through a crack in the curtain. "I am _not_," Grace said indignantly, placing a hand on her hip as she drew the curtain further.

"Right," Lily said, replacing her pillow and setting it behind her head. "How did you know we were talking about you?"

Before she had a chance to answer, Julie continued, "And you just yelled at them to hurry up," she smiled against Grace's glare. "You never tell them to hurry up. Do you want to look _special_?"

"I don't-"

"No, no, close the curtains!" Lily shouted, interrupting Grace's protest as the girl lifted the thick surrounding material to better tell them off. "You're letting in the fumes!"

Grace rolled her eyes. "There are no fumes," she began, "I think-"

Lily and Julie interrupted her once again by dragging her onto the bed and shutting the curtains closed behind her. "They're getting to your head, dear," Lily informed her, smiling endearingly and patting the top of her head.

Grace brushed off her hand. "For your information," she said, propping herself up with an elbow and curling her feet beneath her, "I am as cool as a cucumber. It's just a regular trip to Hogsmeade, after all."

"Right," Julie laughed, "And..." she trailed off her playful taunting, and sniffed the air around her. Leaning closer to Grace, she sniffed the top of her head, and then fell back and pointed her finger accusingly. "You used the fumes!" she exclaimed, grinning madly at Grace's expression.

Grace scooted away from her. "No I didn't," she muttered unconvincingly.

"No!" Lily cried, hanging her head to hide her laughter. "We've lost her," she wailed, "she's become one of _them_."

"I have not," Grace defended. "I just- the bottle was sitting right there, and I was waiting- and I just wanted to _see_-"

"You're right," Julie shook her head dismally, "we've lost her."

Grace hit them both with a large pillow that lay beneath her, before hopping off the bed and storming across the room.

Lily and Julie's chortles went on for quite awhile, but gradually descended as Grace sat facing the other direction in a huff.

"Oh, you know we're just joking," Lily said, still smiling as she leaned off the bed.

Grace didn't respond. Julie looked hesitantly over at Lily, frowning. "Grace?" she tried again. The stubborn girl still didn't answer, facing the other direction in a fury. "Oh don't be angry," she coaxed. "You know we're only playing with you."

Only silence followed, so Lily and Julie collectively stepped off the bed and walked up to her, peeking at the infuriated girl's back as they inched closer. "Grace..." Lily said wearily. "Are you-"

Lily cut off and shrieked as Grace twirled around, armed with two economy sized hair-spray bottles and her lips set into a manic grin.

"N-now Grace," Julie stammered, backing away slowly from the offending expression. "Don't do anything you'll regret..."

"Yeah," Lily nodded her head with vigor, stumbling slightly as she backed into a bedpost. "We were only joking... ha.. ha.." she laughed meekly.

Grace turned the bottles up and gave a spritz of warning. "I'd run if I were you."

* * *

Sirius leaped off his bed and onto the one beside his. "Ready yet?" he asked impatiently, tapping his wrist where a watch would lay. "Don't want to keep the ladies waiting," he sang. 

Remus nodded and smoothed the front of his robes. "Yeah," he replied, taking a breath and shaking his head with confidence. "Ready."

"Don't be nervous, mate," Sirius said, ruffling his friend's hair roughly in encouragement. Remus groaned and hurried to a mirror to flatten it out, as Sirius continued talking. "Remember what I told you- the three E's: Endangered species, Enchiladas, and Elastic.

Remus smirked. "Right," he said dryly, "I'll be sure to use them."

"What?" Sirius crossed his arms indignantly. "It even says so in Witch Weekly's."

Remus looked away from his reflection, James peered up from tying his shoe, and Peter stopped eating his Cauldron Cake. Almost as if rehearsed, three identical smirks turned the corner of their lips.

"You read Witch Weekly's?" James asked, the smile stretching into a full out grin.

Sirius's eyes widened. "Well no- it's just, you see my cousin-" he cut off and glared at his friends laughing expressions. "Oh shove off," he grumbled. "Either way, it works. Those were the top three things girls like to talk about, and I'm just trying to _help_-"

"All right, all right," Remus cut him off, smiling still as he stepped through the door. "Let's go, I don't want to be late."

The four boys trooped out of their dormitory and into the entrance hall, where everyone always gathered before a Hogsmeade trip.

"Well this actually works out," James commented as they turned into the crowded corridor. "This way when you come over, you and my mum can swap recipes-"

"Shut it," said Sirius, ignoring his friends and craning his neck to see through the mass of students. There's Abbi now," he said, "I'll go get her and meet you blokes back here."

James nodded and set off to find his date as well. Peter stood beside Remus as they walked off, but thankfully sauntered down the hall to find Anthony Piatt -a Hufflepuff he had become aquatinted with in Herbology- as Grace met Remus's eyes and made to approach him.

She smiled brightly. "Hello," she said, stepping up to stand beside him.

"Hi," Remus responded, flattening his robes nervously for the thousandth time that day.

Up ahead, Filch opened the grand doors with a heavy creak, sending an early winter breeze throughout the corridor, and shivers down the thin-robed students' backs.

Grace pulled her robes around her and turned to Remus. "Ready, then?"

Remus nodded and the pair joined the crowd as they filed out of Hogwarts.

* * *

"James," Sirius hissed, scrambling next to his friend. "You don't see her, do you?" 

James turned to raise a questioning brow at his frantic friend. "Who?"

"Abbi," he whispered furiously, his eyes shifting this way and that. He paused in his alarming glances and turned to face James. "Where's your date?"

"Friend said she was sick," James informed him. "That's all right, I don't think she'd want to spend as much time in Zonko's as I do anyway, and we're running short on supplies again."

"Good," Sirius nodded. "Make sure you-"

"Sirius!" an animate girl bounded up to them, her brunette curls bouncing everywhere and flopping into her face.

Sirius cringed. "Oh great," he muttered, cradling his head in his hands.

James peered thoughtfully at the approaching girl. "She doesn't look that-"

"Hi!" Abigail Athens greeted cheerfully, grinning at the two boys. She looked over at Sirius. "Where did you go? I thought you were right behind me but you weren't, I think it might've been because I wore my black shoes instead of the brown, well it's not really a brown, more of a suede of sorts, but anyway the brown-suede ones are much faster and I would've worn them but my mum says they're bad for your feet, which can ultimately lead to bad posture, and did you know that bad posture can cause several rare and horrible diseases? Well they're Muggle, so I suppose we don't have to worry about it but-"

"Wow." James shook his head, watching in amazement as the girl remained in her endless chatter, oblivious to her surroundings and still rambling about Merlin knows what.

"I told you," Sirius said pitifully. The boys didn't even bother to keep their voices down- Abbi seemed lost in her own conversation anyway.

"-And I just couldn't believe it when my friend told me the prong of a fork is actually called a tang, but I guess that's how the machete swings, eh?"

Sirius didn't respond, only looking around at his surroundings blankly and frowning at his cursed misfortune. James jabbed him in the ribs and he looked up, seeing Abbi's expectant face. "Oh... er, tang, wow, that's very interesting. Yeah, machete. Could use one of those right about now..."

The rambling girl didn't hear Sirius's last comment, so jovially grabbed his arm and dragged him down the road, needless to say talking his ear off all the while. "You weren't this... talkative when I asked you out," Sirius's confused voice floated down the road.

"Oh right," Abbi replied, "that was the day I was struck with a horrid bout of laryngitis. Did you know that's the most common..."

* * *

"So... You like Quidditch?" Grace began, in attempts of filling the silence before it had a chance to arrive. 

"Yeah," Remus nodded, grateful for a start of conversation. "I play over James's in the summer; usually I'm chaser with Peter."

Grace's eyes widened. "James has a Quidditch Pitch?"

"Uh-huh," Remus responded. Grace looked wistful and shook her head, leading to a lazy lapse of silence.

Remus looked down at the browning leaves he was shuffling through as they passed the Quidditch Pitch, racking his brain for anything that would spark an interesting conversation.

E number one: Endangered Species. It'll melt any girl's heart once she finds out you're concerned for the greater good, and will be a surefire way to rack up points.

Remus grumbled aloud as Sirius's voice floated its way into his mind, and shoved it aside quickly, concentrating on commencing a more appropriate topic.

The seconds seemed to turn to minutes though, and dragged on as they walked in ringing silence. He grew a bit panicked as neither said anything for quite awhile, and wondered if Grace was bored with him yet, or having the same problem as he. Just as another scrutinizing second passed by, he hastily spoke up. "A real pity about those er- endangered species, eh?"

* * *

"And maybe if I went to Florida I could see my Grandparents because they have a spectacular farm with horses and roosters and cows and pigs and dogs and cats..." 

Sirius blinked. "Hey," he cut in, causing Abbi to jolt at the unexpected interruption of her infinite soliloquy.

She looked back at him oddly, almost as if angry he'd interrupted her speech. "Yes?"

Sirius grinned at her and swung an arm around her shoulder. "What'd you say we walk in silence for awhile, you know, just enjoy our surroundings."

Abbi nodded slowly. "Okay..." she agreed, shrugging slightly and snuggling closer at the hint of another gust of wind. They walked in blessed silence for a few moments or so, and Sirius heaved a sigh of relief as she managed to keep her mouth shut for a record amount of time.

"Hey Abbi," James's voice called out of nowhere, and suddenly his head popped in-between the two. He grinned at his friend, and then turned to the noiseless girl inquiringly. "I was just wondering... Do you have any preferred means of Magical Transport?"

The girl's eyes widened with excitement. "Of _course_ I do! My mum works for the Floo Network Authority, and she's got the inside scoop on broom regulatory control and apparation test centers, which is just brilliant in itself, but did you know they banned Magic Carpets because..."

"Wanker," Sirius grumbled, smacking James's smiling face away.

James only grinned in return and patted the couple on their backs, before stepping away slowly and tipping his head in farewell. "I'll see you two kids later," he winked, speaking loudly to be heard over Abbi's babbling. "Don't have too much fun, now." He ran off quickly before Sirius had a chance to cause him any bodily harm.

* * *

"Do you want to grab a booth in The Three Broomsticks?" Grace asked, as they passed by the familiar pub. Remus nodded his reply, and they entered the warm and inviting atmosphere through the wooden doorframe. 

"So..." Remus began hesitantly, as they followed Rosmerta into a booth near the corner. "Do you like Enchiladas?"

Grace paused in lowering herself onto the seat, looking at Remus strangely. After a few moments she shook her head yes and sat back down. "Sure... My Mum makes them all the time."

"There's lots of different kinds of enchiladas," he continued, his voice strained. "There's apple, and beef, and chicken, and sausage-"

Grace nodded slowly. "Yeah... I usually just eat cheese."

* * *

"You smell _awful_!" 

Lily skidded around and was met by James's face, which was currently pulled into a grotesque expression. Sighing at the sight of him, she said, "Go away, Potter. I'm having an enjoyable Hogsmeade trip and I don't need you to ruin it."

"No, honestly," James said, wrinkling his noise and leaning away from her and Julie. "What _is_ that? And why is your hair all sticky?"

Julie flushed and patted the remnants of the hairspray attack self-consciously, as Lily rolled her eyes and turned away from the imploring boy. "None of your business." Directing her conversation to Julie, she asked, "Do you want to stop by Flourish and Blotts first, or The Three Broomsticks?"

"How can you _breathe_?" he persisted. "I don't think you should've came to Hogsmeade, you're polluting the air and probably sickening the people around you."

"_You're_ sickening me," Lily shot back, taking a deep breath and attempting to calm herself before lashing out any further.

"Come on Lily," Julie swayed, her voice soft. "Let's just get some butterbeer."

James grimaced. "I'll run ahead and tell them to open the windows."

* * *

Grace and Remus talked on and off, about little things such as favorite classes and quidditch teams. Just as Grace finished telling him why the Wombats should win the cup, Rosmerta arrived with their butterbeers. 

"Thanks," Remus said, reaching across the table for his drink and pushing the other towards Grace.

The girl took a sip of the pleasant beverage, savoring the heavenly liquid as it slid down her throat. Remus did the same, and set his mug down with a clank after several sips. He sighed at the repeated lull in conversation.

Lifting his head to look at Grace, he began, "You know, elastic-"

Remus got cut off, however, as the contents of Grace's drink came spraying all over his robes. Grace clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to suppress the laughter that had come bursting out; she ducked her head as her amused hilarity heightened, and the uncontrollable laughter continued.

Remus donned a pitiful look of confusion. "What?"

"I knew it!" Grace managed to exclaim amidst the chortles. Finally she gulped down her laughter and sobered up some, taking a breath to bring herself back to normal. "Sorry, I just- I didn't imagine you as someone that'd read Witch Weekly's..."

Remus flushed. "No, oh no, I just- Sirius told me and I-"

"That was a good issue," Grace smiled, "Did you catch the spring one?"

"I _don't_ read it," Remus insisted, still blushing to his sandy roots. "Honestly, I- Sirius just told me about it before we left, I wasn't going to use them... But well, I didn't really know what else to talk about."

Grace nodded, a smile still spanned across her pretty features. "Well you know, I'm actually relieved," she said, sighing as she propped her chin up with her hand. "I thought you were nutters with the whole 'enchilada' conversation."

Remus laughed, letting out some of the tension he had bottled up inside and relaxing in his seat. "Yeah, I guess I'm relieved too," he agreed after a few seconds of comfortable silence. "I had no idea where I was going with that elastic thing."

* * *

"I wonder what happened to Rosmerta," Lily said, peaking above their booth and around the restaurant. "Do you think she's forgotten about us?" 

Julie bit her lip, glancing around as well. "Oh look, she's got a huge order from that Intramural Quidditch Team over there," she said, pointing to the spot where a dozen sweaty and rowdy kids had entered. "I'll just go up to the bar and get our order, looks like she's got a bit much on her plate."

Lily nodded as she watched her friend rise out of her seat and walk across the crowded pub. Julie edged past a table of Goblins, and made her way slowly through a walking group of a rather frightening species she couldn't quite place. She had nearly met her destination without any turbulence, when a hastily scrambling boy brushed past her, bumping her shoulder on his path to the bar.

"Get me away from her," Sirius wailed, scurrying past everyone and in front of James. "I can't take it anymore!"

Abbi came chirping behind him. "And once my sister had a pet hamster- funny little creatures they are, with little squiggling tails and beady eyes- and she named it Chip, you'll never guess why-"

Sirius whimpered and turned away from the girl. "James... do something..."

"You should've seen her face! My Great Aunt Edna was appalled when she found out who it was, but when she realized what she didn't know in the first place, she knew it wasn't-"

"She's not _my_ date," James told him, motioning his butterbeer at Sirius. "She's yours. _You_ do something."

"But what could I-" An enlightened expression suddenly crossed Sirius's face as he perked up and straightened from his slumped position. A coy glint passed in his eyes, first forming his lips into a roughish smile and then puckering them with a wink. "Yeah... I can think of something that'll shut her up."

Sirius whipped around rapidly, and without warning grabbed the girl and swiftly pressed his lips against hers. This sent the girl into an abrupt state of shock, but rather unfortunately... it didn't shut up his date.

"Sirius!" Abbi screeched, her hand flying to her mouth as she witnessed the perplexing scene before her.

Julie shrieked, gasping for breath as she shoved Sirius off with all of her might and dizzily staggering back in shock. Before anyone had a chance to react, she had stumbled right into a full tray of butterbeers, sending both her and the glasses shattering to the ground.

It seemed half of the pub immediately rushed to the scene, Lily leading them as she hurried to her fallen friend and shook the girl's shoulders with rash concern. "Julie," she called hastily to the girl, waving her hand above her head to see if she had knocked herself unconscious.

After receiving a rather hard kick in the heel from Abbi, Sirius joined the group of onlookers just as Grace and Remus pushed their way through the small crowd as well. "Julie?" Grace questioned loudly, kneeling beside her to see how bad the injury was. When she still didn't stir, Grace prodded her shoulders and yanked on her robes. "Julie?"

Julie's eyes blinked open, as she lifted her head slightly and looked at her friends and curious customers above her with a dazed and befuddled expression. "Are you all right?" Lily queried. She knit her eyebrows, concerned. "_Say_ something."

Blinking her eyes twice more to clear her blurry gaze, she stared torpidly at the group, opening and closing her mouth several times, but not once uttering a response. Finally, her stance faltered and she leaned back onto the ground. Eyes wide, she breathed, "Bloody Hell."

Above her Sirius stood up and pounded his fist against James's shouder with an accomplished grin. "You see that, mate?" he asked proudly, patting his own lips with fond appreciation. "What a reaction; and that was barely a snog!".

After that _much_ needed ego boost, Sirius headed out with James and Peter with the rest of the Hogwarts students, as it was nearing five o' clock. Abbi whined and chattered at his heels all the while- her vocal chords straining under the maxium endurance she was now putting them through. She finally ceased her complaining when Sirius promised another date that next night, and this time he wouldn't kiss any other girls. The bubbly girl happily agreed.

The group mercifully left Remus and Grace behind, and now that the boy felt no need to start conversations about Mexican food, the atmosphere of it all relaxed. The walk back to Hogwarts seemed much faster as they held light and steadfast discussions, a rather large contrast to the nerve-racking trek there.

"Is your ankle healing all right?" Remus asked, as they gradually continued down the path.

"Yeah," Grace smiled, looking away from Remus as a group of excited third years raced by. Turning back to him, she lifted the hem of her robe and stuck out her foot as best she could, considering they were still walking. "See? It's not even swollen anymore."

Remus's lips tweaked into a smile as he viewed her unique attire. "I like your purple socks," he told her.

She dropped her robes and grinned up at Remus. "Thank you." Fluffing her purple laced raven locks in an extravagant motion, she informed him, "They match my hair, you see. And it's-"

"Your favorite color," Remus finished for her.

Grace lifted her head and stared back at him with a look of pleasant surprise. "How did you know that?"

"You told me," he said, his eyes twinkling slightly with reminiscence. "Right after you chased me around the lake. It was first year, remember? You were a just a tad angry that I'd charmed your hair that violent shade purple."

Grace laughed in response, her eyes darting to the surrounding grounds and the path she had pursued her fellow terrified classmate. "Yeah," she said, fingering a purple lock. "I remember."

Remus nodded, still smiling at the memory as he returned his gaze to the path before him. "But," Grace spoke up again, her purple lock now twisted so far up her finger it had nowhere left to coil, "I didn't just keep them all these years because it's my favorite color, you know."

Remus knit his brows and turned to her with upstanding curiousity. "You didn't?"

"Nope," Grace replied, shaking her head. A small smile creeped across her face as her eyes remained on the road ahead of her. "It was mostly because of the person that gave them to me."

* * *

A/N: Okay... I'm sorry this chapter isn't really up to standard, but I had loads of trouble with it. R/G's first date might've been a little lame, but I promise there'll be better ones in the future. Thanks for reading anyway, oh, and if anyone can't recall the purple-hair chase down, check out chapter six.

Lanette- Yup, Grace is _very_ determined. Couldn't have her any other way ; ) I'm glad you're so happy about the frequent updates, it makes me happy you're happy. Thanks for the review!

Misakichi1- You know, I wouldn't mind a bit of fluff either... hehe, thanks loads for the review, I really appreciate it!

Padfootz- I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the info from chapter three, and thanks for the review!

RSB- Remus is a very good boy, you don't have to worry about the 'after chapter common room scene'. Sirius, yes, Remus, no.

Siriusismine- Thanks! That made me feel great, I'm really glad you liked it : ) Gwah!! I can't believe you!! You crazy goose, you've been deceiving me all this time. Well... not really deceiving I suppose, since I never really asked, but... gwah! Hehe... thanks so much for reading! (Can you tell which parts I wrote in your response before I found out?)

Espergirl04- Of course the common room, lol. I'm glad I can provide you a break from your extensive studies.. what are you working on? Some sort of cure for a rare and horrible disease? If that's the case, why are you reading my story and not discovering that cure! Ack, my story has burdened mankind. Um.. okay, I'm in a strange mood right now, don't mind me.

Whitepaw- Hey, you're new! Lol, you probably knew that, but... well anyway, I really love seeing new reviewers, and I hope to see you again very soon! Thanks for the review ; )

L.M. Robertson- Wow, glad you liked it so much! Just the reaction I was hoping for, hehe. Thanks mucho for the incredible review : )

Ieyre- Can you feel the looove tonight? Every time I look at your review I get that song from Lion King stuck in my head : ) Er... well anyway, thanks loads, much appreciated!

Jess- Hehe, I'm very glad you enjoyed it so much, thanks for the review : )

MidnightPrincess- Ay, sorry about the faking out. Was it when Grace touched his shoulder and suffocation seemed a very near and real possibility? Well you see, if he was near suffocation, he couldn't of very well participated in any kissing, without fainting anyway. And we don't want that, now do we? Sorry for the fakage, thanks for the review!

Ninde Annare- Yup, conversing is the first step to a beautiful relationship. : ) Thanks loads for the review!

Oksana- Lol, glad you think so! Thanks for the review : )

Sarah Warder- Yes! I used a British word correctly, hooray : ) Thanks so much for your long and wonderful review, I'm really glad you liked it so much! My spleen? Ack...

Imperishable Stars- Hehe, glad you liked that part : ) I'm also happy you're happy I didn't rush it, and that you think it was very believable... thanks!

Dulcis- Sorry I scared you, asterisk. Hehe, yes, I fixed the French. Hooray! You're a wonderful Hermione, and I'm proud to be madly in love with you. ; ) Thanks for the review, you know I love 'em.

Pline- I think you last read chapter 33? Because since then you should not feel sorry for Remus, hehe. Aside from the fact that he broke her ankle... but that's all right. Well, thanks for the review, much appreciated!

Sapphire039- Ack, babysitting crazy kids does not sound fun. Thanks for taking the time to review anyway, it really means a lot to me ; )

Dreamlessnights- Hehe, glad I could make you laugh out loud! (Literally) Thanks mucho for the two reviews, I really appreciate 'em!

MissBlueAngel- I'm glad you liked it, and thanks for your ideas ; ) Hmm.. fanfiction must've not sent out all the author alerts or something, ah well. Thanks for the review!

Zayne- What's wrong with James? James, oh James. Sadly it is only the beginning of his vainness. : ) Fun stuff. Thanks for the review!

Charmed4ever- Yes, very tough ; ) Your review was awesome, it made me feel positively giddy, thanks mucho!

Luna Gypsy- Ah, I missed you : ( Glad you're back, though! Thanks as always for the kinds words of encouragement, always appreciated!

Oliverwoodschic- I'm glad you're glad! I tried to update as soon as I could, thanks a lot for the review!

tenniStar514- Hello! Thanks so much for taking the time to review my story, and that's okay about the little mix-up. I was a tad confused though, when you were talking about Remus and Grace one moment and then Sirius and... Emia I think it was? Well anyhoo, thanks mucho for the (2) reviews, I'm glad you liked it!

Jounin-Elite- Hey, you know, I can't just exactly _jump_ into Lily and James's relationship, seeing as it's completely non-existent for at least another year or so. And you use a s instead of a z when you're talking informal, with your friends. Which Remus was. : p I dunno, I took Spanish.

Amy Lampion- Yay! I know, I'm excited too. And annoying ; p You're much-too-kind words make me feel awesome, and for that I thank you.

Windowseat Wonderer- I'm really glad you liked the Remus/Grace and awkwardness, I'm happy I could portray it the way you would believe it to be. Yes, Voldemort's in power... yikes. Thanks a lot for your review, I really loved it, and I'm so glad you're back!

Dance-flirt- Hihihello, thanks for the amusing review! I enjoyed it as always, and by the way, Roper rocks Ebert any day. ; ) Oh, and... How'd you like your 286 words?

RhetoricalQuestion8- I'm really glad you liked it so much, thanks for the awesome review! Your penname suits you well, because you asked me a question and then thanked me for it before I answered.. hehe that made me laugh. But I really am trying to portray Julie's character better, that's my biggest downfall. I'm shooting to have her well defined by the start of fifth year (it's fourth now) Thanks again!

Hermione1989- Hello! It's okay that you haven't reviewed in awhile, I know how hard it is to keep up with all these different stories. Thanks for the review, and good luck with your chapters!

Romulan Empress- Wow, Europe. That's awesome, wish I could travel there. Glad you like the romance, it's tough to write. Thanks loads for taking time out of your trip to review, hope you have fun!

Just thought you'd like to know all of your names have made their way into my Custom Dictionary. My spellcheck was going _crazy_.

If anyone has suggestions for a good summer reading book I could read, (At least 250 pages and not a Major Motion Picture) I'd very much appreciate it!


	36. Subconscious States

Standing There By You

Ch. 36-Subconscious States

Disclaimer: Really, now. I own _nothing_.

****

A/N: **Important**: Don't delete the next chapter you get reading **deLancret**, 'cause that's what I'm changing my pen name to. Want to know why? Well go check out my bio, you gooses ; )

The date _December 20th, 1974_ marked about halfway through the chapter is to represent the day the train leaves for the Holidays, as to avoid any confusion. This chapter moves rather fast, e-mail me if you've got any questions.

Ah, and my sincere, sincere apologies to **Curiousknowitall**. I accidentally said the purple hair episode was in chapter six when it was in fact in chapter five, so I just copied the important lines for you here:

Chapter Five, Brilliance and Wit

_Grace kneeled down next to him, carefully avoiding the mud. "So, you gonna change my hair back or what?"_

_"Oh, right." Remus took out his wand and started to say the reversal spell._

_"Wait!" Grace said suddenly, blocking his wand. "Could you leave a few streaks in? I think it looks kinda cool, and besides, purple's my favorite color."_

And thus, Grace's purple hair. Hope that clears it up for you!

_

* * *

_

The golden stone path felt smooth and cool beneath her feet, its radiance providing a hint of luminosity in the particularly musty evening. Over her, glorious trees stood impressively above fields of dew covered grass, their silver entwined branches suspended over beds of magnificent vines and flowers. Wandering off the terrace, she sat under the protective shade of a distinguishably larger tree, the fresh blooming orchids and lilacs blossoming at an exceptional speed around her. The sun felt warm against her skin, as it dawned gradually behind clouds of powder blue and lavender.

A semblance of an impassioned atmosphere arose, interrupting the calm solitude she had felt only seconds before. What stood before her caused her heart to beat faster; her insides to collapse underneath the newly exposed emotion.

Everything froze.

The birds stopped mid-flight. The sun halted, hanging vulnerable in the evening sky. A single dew drop that previously cascaded down a fresh blade of grass now remained suspended in the air and dangled tauntingly over the rich soil.

Perhaps the real world did not stop. Perhaps she was just too overwhelmed by the tangible sense that overcame her physical and mental being, that her common sense evaporated and her hopes and inner desires took over. Even though the tingling air surrounding the magical sight seemed most unreal, it could not be a dream; a sensation with such intensity enveloped her, that it allowed her to give up on common sense and believe the exhilarating situation that had distinguished the previous pacifying scene completely. Although not comprehendible, it was certainly believable; certainly real.

He spoke. She found herself rising to his flowing voice, a warm and beautiful sound to her ears. She soon stood naught two feet before him. She'd been waiting for so long; for something to arrive, for love-

"What a bunch of _rubbish_!"

James's face contorted into an expression of disgust; he threw the novel onto the floor as if it'd burned him, its worn out covers flopping haphazardly over one another and its pages strewn out to resemble an accordion.

Emerald green eyes widening with disbelief, Lily rushed immediately to the aide of her woebegone book. Mouth slack in concentration, she cradled the book entitled 'The Magic Within' in fading scrawled letters, checking each inch of the precious pages to see if they had been stripped at all of their previous pristine state. Satisfied nothing was out of order, she placed the book gently onto a side table, spun around, and lunged at the amused James Potter.

Amusement quickly vanishing and stumbling shock quickly taking its place, James darted out of the passionate girl's way, but she kept on heedlessly. "You insidious prat!" she shouted, veins he was sure she had only just acquired in her recent bout of madness popping out and nearly pulsating in anger. "You senseless-"

"I don't see what you're on about," James defended with a serious expression, only just darting out of her manic grasps. "The only thing I did wrong was not throwing it directly in the fireplace. That rubbish should be disposed of _immediately_."

"Ooh," Lily squealed, too angry to emit any proper sentences. She let out a growl of hostility as she charged towards him once more, trying her best to wipe the taunting grin off his haughty face.

"I mean honestly," James carried on, putting his Quidditch skills to good use and diving out of her reach. "What kind of person reads that... thing once, let alone once a _year_?"

Fed up with his gibes and her non-existent ability to throttle him, Lily verbalized a venting exhale and stormed across the common room to retrieve her treasured book. With one last scowl in James's direction, she spun on her heel and hurried up the winding staircase.

"Grawh!!" Lily exclaimed, storming into her dormitory. Grace and Julie looked up in surprise- they didn't think humans were capable of the noise their friend had so mildly greeted them with.

Julie squinted her eyes with concern. "What's wrong?"

"What do you _think_?" Lily snapped, thrusting her bed-curtains aside and slamming onto her bed.

Grace rolled her eyes and went back to reading Mobeau's latest Chaser tips in 'Current Quidditch'. "Let me guess," she mumbled, flipping the page. "Does it start with a Pott and end with an er?"

Julie's concern dwindled as well. "Oh c'mon Lily. You've got to stop letting him get to you."

Lily's eyes widened defensively. "Yes but-"

"Lily," Grace shook her head.

The stubborn girl pressed on. "You don't even know-"

"It doesn't matter," Julie interjected, coaxing her with a soft smile. "You know he just does it to pluck your nerves. Next time just act like it doesn't bother you. I'm sure he'll let you be."

Lily muttered some incoherent words, but yielded to their comforting words nonetheless.

"And besides," Julie continued cheerfully. "Christmas is only a couple weeks away, you've got that to look forward to, don't you?"

Lily perked up. "You're right," she said, smiling for the first time since entering the room in an enraged huff. "I can't wait; a whole holiday away from Potter."

_

* * *

December 20th, 1974 _

"And you're sure they won't mind?"

"Positive."

"But you didn't even ask them, and-"

"It'll be fine."

"You know, I'm beginning to think this isn't such a-"

James turned to his babbling friend with a look of exasperation. "You're starting to sound like your date to Hogsmeade, you know," he informed him. Sirius immediately shut up.

"Now honestly," James said, leaning against the cool glass of the frosty train window and staring out at the blustery snow. "They _won't_ mind. You've been over my house a million times before this, you know that."

"Well I know," Sirius responded, stretching his legs across the compartment and in front of Remus's outstretched slumbering figure. He had the whole seat to himself, as Peter had somehow managed his way onto the floor. Sirius frowned for a moment and paused, wiggling his sock-covered feet comfortably. Normally his friend would shove them off the seat in an instant, but as he sunk lower into a deep sleep, Sirius figured what he didn't know couldn't hurt him.

"But..." James prodded, knowing full well his friend wasn't finished.

"But," Sirius continued on, turning back to James, "it's Christmas. What if there isn't enough turkey? I'll probably be intruding on traditions and-"

James snorted his interruption. "Traditions? The only traditions we've got involve eating until you can't move," he looked thoughtful, "and opening gifts, of course."

Sirius still looked uneasy. "Well okay," he hesitantly agreed. "I just hope I won't be a bother."

* * *

"Oh it's no bother at all," Mrs. Potter assured him, clasping her hands in genuine delight. "You know what those muggles say, 'The more the merrier!" 

Her husband beamed at the boys before them. "Of course. Well, where are your parents? Best we check with them first."

Sirius's relieved expression at the Potter's reactions swiftly changed into that of uneasiness. "Oh, that doesn't matter," he told them quickly. "I know my parents won't mind."

"Oh, heaven's no," Mrs. Potter patted his shoulder with a light bout of laughter. "We can't just take you without them knowing."

"Really mum," James spoke up, shooting Sirius a side-long glance. "I don't think his parents'll mind."

Ignoring her son, Mrs. Potter set off down the length of the train station. "Where do they usually wait, Sirius?" she asked, peering around the bustling room. Stopping her quick pace, she turned back around to face the boys with a bemused smile. "You know, I don't even know what they look like. Point them out to me, dear."

A sudden grin appeared across Sirius's face, erasing any hesitance he had previously portrayed. Squinting slightly and tilting his head, he raised his finger in the direction of the magical entryway. "Er, there they are," he responded with an odd spring of enthusiasm. The Potter family turned to see where he was pointing and was met with three figures, two large and one small, exiting the platform.

Sirius's grin remained steadfast as he readjusted his hold on his heavy trunk and stepped in front of the parents' incredulous faces. "Sure looks like they'll miss me, no?"

* * *

Lily ran her fingers across the creases that ran throughout her patterned comforter, wondering thoughtfully the memories it beheld. The worn out designs that ornamented the fading cream comforter were that of willow trees and wildflowers, a popular embedded feature in the time of her mother's childhood. Lily had fallen in love with the blanket the moment she had discovered it in the attic among ornate pillowcases and draperies, and hasn't let go of it since- she contemplated bringing it to Hogwarts with her, but decided the recollection of it would do better to stay at home. 

She heaved a sigh as she turned over on her comfortable bed, so that her feet now kicked out behind her and she had a clear view of the icy window. She scolded herself for allowing boredom to seep into this uniquely beautiful day, but resigned to it as her head became suddenly heavier, and her eyelids began to droop. Gradually, she drifted her way into the world of the subconscious.

* * *

"And you should've seen her face!" James proclaimed, waving his fork in a dangerous vivid gesture around the dinner table. 

Sirius made an exaggerated ducking motion. "Hey, watch those tangs, would you?"

"It was just," James continued on, ignoring his dramatic friend, "it was priceless. Simply priceless."

Mrs. Potter, however, did not share his amusement. "You don't tease this poor girl, do you?"

James shrugged, putting his utensil to proper use and picking up a bit of meat. "She's a real prick, mum. A hothead, too." When his mother's expression only grew more reprimanding with this response, he spoke up once more. "Well she starts all the squabbles- doesn't she, Sirius?"

Sirius looked up from the spoon he had been observing his reflection in. "Hmm? Oh, no, not really," he replied, before going back to the shiny utensil.

James groaned as his mother launched into another of her infamous rambling speeches. "Thanks for the support, mate," he mumbled somberly.

"No problem."

* * *

"We're going out for awhile, sweetie," _the gentle, older form of Lily caressed the young girl's cheek and kissed the top of her forehead. "We should be back a little after midnight, but there's no need to wait up."_

The fourteen year old smiled dutifully, but her mother knew better. Even when she was just a little girl she would wait up endless hours until her parents arrived back home.

Lily watched as the snowy flakes performed a vivid dance around the pair, her father's heavily layered arm wrapped around her mother's waist for a rare sense of security and warmness in the dreary winter weather.

* * *

Thump. 

Thump.

Thum- James turned over on his side, his brain not able to comprehend so early why an object was thumping against his back.

Mr. Potter looked down at the two groggy and stubborn boys with a half entertained, half exasperated expression. James's rolled up socks had taken no effect when trying to wake them, and therefore lay scattered around his room from Mr. Potter's continuous repeated tossing.

Sirius muttered slightly from his sprawled out position at the end of James's bed, knocking a haphazardly tossed book off in the process. The boys were surrounded by books, and by the looks of it seemed as if they had fallen asleep studying. Mr. Potter shook his head, deciding this could definitely not be right, and decided he'd rather not know what they were up to this time. Finally running out of ways to wake the two slumbering boys, Mr. Potter leaned over them and did the one thing he knew would get them straight out of bed.

"Presents!"

Within twenty minutes the gifts were all unwrapped and the boys were shoveling in the remnants of their Christmas brunch.

"This is great," Sirius said ecstatically, adjusting his Wombats pin and digging into his pudding. "Thanks again."

"Anytime, Sirius," James's mother replied, peering at him from above her own dessert. "But, well you've had good holidays at home too, right?"

James groaned inwardly. His mother didn't seem able to grasp the idea how different and horrible Sirius's family was.

Sirius just shrugged, a thoughtful frown upon his face. "No, we don't celebrate the holidays, really."

Mrs. Potter looked aghast. "What? Not celebrate the holidays? But-"

As much as her intents proved kind, Mrs. Potter's persistence and repeated shocked responses began to make him feel uncomfortable. Sirius scratched his brow distractedly. "Well you know-"

"What do you say to a round of Quidditch?"

Three heads whirled around to face Mr. Potter and his unorthodox suggestion, at first only staring at him in response. Then they all seemed to answer at the same time; his wife belted out a huge _'No_!', just as James and Sirius jumped up with a resounding _'Yes_!'

Mr. Potter shrugged at his astonished wife, turning to hurry after the two that had bounded quickly out the door.

"Oh," Mrs. Potter uttered, watching as her seemingly three sons raced out into the snow, tossing the fluffy precipitation at one another as they made their way to the Quidditch shed. Shaking her head, she grabbed her own cloak and darted out after them. She wasn't going to be the only one not having fun, after all.

_

* * *

They weren't coming, but she wouldn't believe it._

Her footsteps seemed detached, they were not hers, they couldn't be hers,

Still not coming, never coming,

Strips of black traced the path. She hated black. They hated black.

"..._There's a lunatic in every society, right Lily?" Julie reasoned. Lily nodded so she continued on. "And none of those societies have the powers that we do of stopping them. The Ministry's always been able to catch them before, and don't forget, we'll always have Dumbledore_..._"_

In the distance a groan of distress echoed, everyone wailing, everyone weeping,

..._Although these words contained caution and trepidation, once the respects were paid, the children went back to their everyday routines_...

The disturbing disorientation she felt frightened her to tears as she kept on running, unable to escape the pain, to escape all the-

"Noo!" Lily screamed, her head rushing from the force of sitting up so abruptly. Her darkened room came into a blurry view, her eyes still hazy from sleep and subconscious tears. She gasped for air and placed a hand across her chest to still her heavily pounding heart, clutching her mother's old comforter tight against her. Taking a quivering breath, she lowered herself back onto her mattress and reassured herself, "It was just a dream." Her eyes still wide and wondering the room, she repeated hoarsely, "Just a dream."

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much for all of your suggestions, I'm very much into fantasy so I'll try to check 'em all out when I'm done with my current summer reading.

MidnightPrincess- I like that song, lol. I'm glad you like the chapter, thanks as always for the wonderful review!

Dreamlessnights- Hehe, glad you thought that was sweet.Ooh, I want a flag! Can you make me one too? Thanks for the awesome review! 

ImperishableStars- Aw, your review really boosted my inspiration level, thanks loads. Hehe, I'm fond of the purple streaks, too. I tried to put some in my hair, but alas, my locks are too dark. Pity..

Romulan Empress- Lol, I like your reaction to the kiss. But with her character (or the one I'm desperately trying to portray) she wouldn't have done those things, you know? Thanks bunches for the review, and what sorts of books do you read? I'm intrigued.

Padfootz- Ah, sometimes the shortest reviews can mean the most. Thanks ever so much, very much appreciated : )

SiriusJamesRemus'sgirl- Hello! Thanks for the fabulous review, I'm really happy you enjoyed it. No, Peter's not a death eater at this point.. that's what you meant, right? Well if it is, then don't worry about it, cause that's not for a looong while.

Zayne- I'm glad you liked it, and even gladder (is that a word?) that you hate hairspray. Yech. What's your penname mean, if you don't mind me asking. It intrigues me...

FairyPrincess13- Er.. the simple term for wanker is 'a bit of a jerk'. You don't want to know the extended one... I didn't even know what it meant before I posted that chapter... whoops... Thanks for the review and book suggestions : )

Whitepaw- Yay! Your review made me feel awesome, thanks so much! I would've slapped him too... maybe... or perhaps I would've just clung on and er okay, thanks again!

Oliverwoodschic- If you're still confused about the purple hair, it's all up there in the top A/N. Oh.. I hope you're not mad about the non-reaction from Julie, but that's explained more at the very bottom of these A/N's. Thanks as always for the wonderful review!

Dulcis- Oh geez, what do I even say to this. Fried wallabe? Interesting. I hope you're having fun in Delaware... I miss you! Hm.. okay, so you still have a computer, but... it's just not the same, you see, just not the same. PANDAS. Good luck with you and Jacob.. you know, we really have to continue that fic. Infinite possibilities, I tell you, infinite possibilities.

MissBlueAngel- Hope you didn't hurt yourself when you fell out of your chair : p Thanks so much for your review, you know I just love 'em!

FreckledIrishMaiden- Wow, glad you liked the E's so much, hehe. Val and Angie, and lolio! I applaud you, and thanks for the review!

Ninde Annare- Hehe yes, like can be quite the bother. Thanks for the review and suggestion, I appreciate them both very much ; )

Windowseat Wonderer- I'm glad you understood it after a quick read through, sorry, my befuddlement skills are recently exceeding, and that results in a lot of confusion. YES, I hate summer reading.. ugh. Thanks for the review!

Ieyre- My sentiments exactly. Poor vain Sirius, but yes, we do love him so all is not lost. Thanks for the review!

Dance-flirt- Know how much you like long responses so this length is what's deserved for that great review.

Sunset- Oh, you're name's Grace? That's awesome! I hope you like Remus, hehe. Thanks for the WOW, I'm going to take that as a good thing ; )

Blood Emerald- I'm glad you like it, and yes, I too am waiting anxiously for some L/J ; ) Soon, midear, soon. Thanks for the review!

SeCrEt LiLy- Whoot! I'm so glad I got you off Sirius/Grace, that is an awesomely good thing. (awesomely?) I'm happy you find myself and beta humorous, and yes, Abbi would be unlivable, lol. Thanks for the review!

Lanette- Thanks for the boost of confidence, I really enjoyed your review ; ) Yeah, it didn't cover up a lot of time, but hopefully this chapter makes up for that. Oh, and yes, Sirius is a _very_ good kisser.

curiousknowitall- I'm _so_ sorry about that, I wrote a big response to you up at top, if you haven't already seen it. Thanks for taking the time to check it out, anyway ; )

Jess- Hehe, I'm glad I could make you smile. Thanks a billion for your review, each and every one makes me feel verrry special!

misakich1- Oh, you're one of the ones that made me feel really good about the last update... thanks sooo much. I don't know what I didn't like about the chapter, it just wasn't flowing with me, you know? Well thanks again for reassuring me, much appreciated!

Pline- Yay, more people venturing onto the Remus and Graceness of it all. I'm really glad you liked the chapter, and ecstatic that you're all for the aforementioned couple, thanks so very much!

Charmed4ever- Aw, lol. Yup, giddy is a very good thing, and I'm glad you feel it because of my fic! Thanks so much for the awesome review, I appreciate it much!

MelissaMoony- Yes, I would much rather write for my fanfiction too, blasted teachers. I've read one book though, so at least that's something ; ) Today's the official two-week mark... ugh. Thanks bunches for the review!

Sun Kissed Rose- Ah, you're too right about finding a book that's not already a Major Motion Picture, what is society doing to us? Hm... tennis. Oh yes, I play bunches, but I can't remember anything about a shoulder. Let's see, I _do_ know that after about ten minutes of lunges your bum kills... ::sigh:: this is what I get for sitting in a computer chair all summer... Good luck with tennis!

Sapphire039- Hmm... Elastic. Well you can talk about the waist-bands, um... er... okay, so I couldn't think of another E. Sorry, but it would've taken me another two days to update just to think of a substantial word that began with that incessant vowel. Hehe, thanks for the review!

Espergirl04- Very interesting, about the frosted flakes that is. I'm glad you liked the chapter, and I thank you so very much for all of your wonderful book suggestions. I love fantasy books so I'll be sure to check a bunch of 'em out. Thanks again!

Molly- Oh good, I missed Molly. Sarah Warder's a little creepy, I must tell you. Ay, and there's nothing like a safe spleen. Hehe, of course it's true! (about the purple highlights) I don't know how I came up with the three E's... I scare myself sometimes. Tang _is_ a cool word, I used it again in this chapter, hehe. I hope you're having fun on your trip, oh, and do you know where I can get a 50 pence piece.. er, or whatever it's called...

A/N: Okay, I hope you're not angry I didn't put anything else about the kiss in Hogsmeade, but really, there wasn't much else _to_ write. It's over and done with; Julie's too shy to ever even think of bringing it up again and Sirius probably forgot it within a week's time anyway. The only reason for having it in was to initiate Sirius's ah... success with the ladies, lol you know what I mean. Tootles!

Don't forget, look for deLancret!


	37. Remus Draws the Line

Standing There By You

Ch. 37-Remus Draws the Line

Disclaimer: Äåí åßìáé êýñéïò ôßðïôá.

A/N: Concerning the dream: For once, I meant to befuddle you.

And yes, my pen name is still EyesofEmerald. ::sigh:: I think I'm going to wait to change it till this monster's over. ::sigh::

Also, I'm having real trouble with the characters used to divide up the scenes; the only ones they're allowing are letters and slash marks, and the huge line seen below. If anyone has any suggestions on what I could use, I'd be mighty grateful.

* * *

Remus grimaced as James threw a sock across the room and missed his trunk, whacking him on the side of the head instead. 

"Hey," Sirius observed, "picking up habits from good ol' dad, eh mate?"

"Yes," James replied sincerely. "Sock throwing is a tremendous sport in our family."

"Really?" Peter questioned, looking up at James excitedly. "We usually toss jumpers at my house."

"Uh..." James stared at his friend, scrutinizing his features to see if he were kidding or not. Coming to the scary conclusion that he wasn't, he continued, "Well our families will just have to get together and have a right old clothes toss, no?"

Peter nodded fervently. "I'll have mum set it up."

"Ugh," Remus scowled. "These socks are dirty, you nitwit!"

"Oh, they're not going to kill you Remus," Sirius sighed, shaking his head sympathetically. "You worry too much, you know that?"

"Still disgusting," Remus muttered, eyeing the fallen socks by his side with a dirty look and a frown.

James looked slightly put off. "Well maybe my socks think _you're_ disgusting."

In a simple gesture to restrain from rolling his eyes or throw back any insults, Remus stood up and suggested they head down to dinner early. And really, it was simply that. In no way was it-

"Aw, you just want to see Grace," Sirius accused, rolling his head back with an expression of a love-sick puppy. "You can't fool us."

Remus crossed his arms, affronted. "I do not, I-" he cut off, suddenly his slighted frown changing into a thoughtful smirk. "You know, I do. Well if you're not coming I'll just see you guys later," with a simple wave he disappeared out of the dormitory and his footsteps sounded on the staircase.

Sirius frowned after his friend. "Well this is no fun," he pouted. "_Now_ how are we supposed to annoy him?"

Just as soon as the words left his mouth, Remus peeked back into the room and reached for his schoolbag. "If you're not doing anything why don't you clean up in here? It's really disgusting, you know."

Sirius grinned as Remus left the room. "That works."

/

Remus felt a bit of a nervous shiver run through him as Grace caught his eye and wove her way across the crowded hallway. "Hello," she greeted, eyes twinkling at the sight of him.

"Hi," he responded through a growing smile. "Going to dinner?"

Grace nodded and began walking down the corridor, Remus by her side. "So how were your holidays?" she asked. "Do anything exciting?"

Remus shook his head. "We just-"

"Hello," Julie greeted buoyantly, bounding up happily to her friend. "What- oh," she cut off as she caught sight of Remus, and bit her lip. "Sorry, I didn't-"

"That's all right," Grace waved her apology away. "We were just going to dinner. Lucky that Potions assignment was easy, or I would've had to skive off and finish it up."

Julie and Remus laughed beside her, but Lily gave her the usual exasperated look. "You had the whole holiday," Lily shook her head. "That's an entire _week_."

"Let me guess," Grace countered. "You finished it the first day?"

Lily nodded. "Actually, I did."

Grace rolled her eyes incredulously. "Well I'll bet you're the only one," she turned to glance next to her, "right Remus?"

Remus gave her an affirmative nod. "Right." He decided to keep it to himself that he had finished it the first night. Well it was more like morning, really.

/

"Remus is going to kill you, you know."

Sirius dumped another pile of wrappers in his orderly roommate's pillowcase. "Well that's what makes it so much fun," came his chipper response.

"You done with that Pasty, Peter?" Sirius asked, and without waiting for a reply snatched the half-eaten sweet out of his hand. "Thanks!"

"And when he comes in," James said, watching with amusement as Sirius squished the pastry on Remus's front bedposts, "you're going to take all the blame, right?"

Sirius nodded distractedly. " 'Course."

Peter looked forlorn. "I was going to eat that, you know."

Sirius peered over at him with a raised brow. "Well there's no reason you still can't," he informed him with a shrug. "Later tonight just scrape it off; that'll come right off the wood floor."

Peter sank back onto his bed with relief, glad his sugary snack hadn't gone to waste. He fished something out from under his bed, brandishing it and handing an old flask of pumpkin juice to Sirius. "You can use this if you'd like."

Sirius grinned his thanks and accepted the spoiled beverage. Lifting Remus's sheets, he dumped the orange liquid between the bottom sheet and blanket, tucking the edges in securely and folding the thick comforter over the quickly spreading soaked area.

James erupted into laughter and rolled over on his bed, stuffing a pillow over his distraught ebony hair. "I can't wait to see his face," he chortled.

Peter scrunched up his nose. "That smells awful," he stated, turning away from the offending odor that emitted between Remus's sheets.

Sirius shrugged. "How old do you reckon it was?"

Peter looked thoughtful. "Three years at most."

/

Dinner went over well, it being Remus's first time not sitting with his usual comrades. The rest of the Marauders had arrived late, so he just remained seated by Grace and her friends.

After a peculiar speech from Dumbledore, the students were released and sent off to bed, or whichever late night activities they chose to partake. Most students set off toward their respective common rooms, but a few lingered behind in the darkening corridors. Lily and Julie went along with the former, while Remus and Grace moved at a much slower pace.

"I wanted to send you something for Christmas," she told him, folding her arms across her chest as an odd breeze flitted around the corridor. "Carlos was really sick, though, so I didn't get the chance."

Remus turned to look at her with wide eyes of concern, a comforting hand absently rising to her shoulder as a mixed look of pitiful worry came over his face. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

Grace tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly with confusion. "Oh," she said suddenly, after a few moments of sharing this exchange of positions. "No," she laughed. "Carlos is my owl."

Remus looked relieved and slightly abashed at this information. "Oh," he said, a smile tugging at his lips as well. "I thought he was your brother, or something."

Grace shook her head. "Nope. I can't recall the last time any of my brothers were sick, actually. They're all too hearty for it," at this she rolled her eyes. "Or so they say."

"How many siblings do you have?" Remus asked.

"Three," Grace answered matter-of-factly. "All older brothers; I'm the baby of the family. They were really leery at my acceptance to Hogwarts... Sometimes they're much too overbearing."

"Ah," Remus nodded. "They're your adoptive family, all muggle, right?"

Grace peered at him curiously. "Yeah, how'd you know that?"

Remus cursed his cheeks as they tinted red against the shadows of the dim hallway. "I was curious," he explained. "So I asked Lily about it once."

"Oh," Grace replied, breaking their gaze and turning to face the upcoming corridor. She gave a taut laugh. "I feel bad, but... I haven't the slightest about your family."

Remus laughed as well. "That's all right," he said. "Not much _to_ know. It's me and my parents, pretty quiet most of the time."

Grace smiled. "Quite the contrast; I never get a moment's peace at my house. Well, except when my aunt takes me out," she added after a second's thought. She brightened. "It's awesome though, I wouldn't give it up for anything. You should visit sometime," she offered lightly. "Maybe over the summer?"

Remus jerked his head to the side to look at her, mildly surprised at the invitation. "Oh, yeah," he finally responded. "That'd be nice."

Grace nodded slowly, as they gradually continued their trek down the hallway. "Oh!" she said suddenly, smacking her head at her foolishness. "Well we got slightly off topic, but I was going to say I got you a Christmas present." She dug through her robe's pockets and pulled out a small box, clumsily wrapped with bright orange and blue tissue paper.

"Sorry it's so sloppy," Grace apologized. "I'm horrible at wrapping."

"That's all right," Remus said, accepting the uniquely covered parcel. "Nice colors," he commented.

Grace smiled. "Custom holiday colors are so over-rated."

"Oh, I didn't forget you, by the way," Remus said quickly, pausing in his tidy tear of the wrappings, "I just... Well I was going to send it to you, but- You see I wasn't sure if..."

Grace laughed, "Don't worry about it, Remus. You forgot, didn't you?"

"No," Remus said hurriedly. He motioned down the hallway. "It's up in my dormitory, I brought it with me. We can go up and get it in awhile, if you'd like."

She nodded. "All right, but go on and finish opening up yours first."

Remus did so, and revealed a subscription card to Drugle's current magazine and an elaborate and brightly colored quill.

"For your article," Grace explained, as Remus skimmed the card. "I figured with your own subscription instead of the schools', you can cross out and mark on it however much you want."

Remus looked up and smiled at her. "Thanks," he said, replacing the card and picking up the bizarre quill instead.

"Oh and that," she further clarified, "is to keep you entertained while you're writing. Look, it writes in different colored inks and everything."

Remus's smile broadened. "Even purple?"

Grace grinned. "Especially purple."

/

Sirius sprinkled the last of the crumpled up parchments over Remus's bed with flourish. "There," he proclaimed, leaning back and admiring his work proudly. "Done."

James studied the mess that used to stand as Remus's bed. "A sickle says he yells at you for five minutes straight."

"Ten," Peter put in, digging through his trunk for some loose change.

Sirius furrowed his brows. "It's not _that_ big of a mess." James and Peter just stared at him, towards the bed, and then back at their friend once more. Sirius turned around to take in the chaotic turmoil that had recently taken place in Remus's quarter of the room, and gave a thoughtful nod. "Right then. My bet's on fifteen."

/

"I think everyone else is up there," Remus said, as he and Grace climbed the staircase leading to the boys' dormitories. "Don't mind the mess. I'm a bit of a neat-freak, but my friends are real slobs."

They approached the top of the stairwell and stood before the door marked 'Fourth Years'. "I've never been in the guys' dormitories before," Grace commented, peering with interest at the wooden door before her. "I wonder if it's any different."

"Maybe," Remus grinned. He reached out hand and twisted the doorknob, pushing the oak door open. "I'll just get it out of my tr-truh-truh..."

Grace gaped at the sight before her. "Yeah," she managed to say after the blow of the shocking greeting. "Some neat-freak you are."

"Wh- who- truh, bed- mess-" Remus choked out, still staring open-mouthed at the scene and shambles that lay before his disbelieving eyes. His face began to redden as he took in the amount of disorder in his section of the room. "Who..."

"James did it!" Sirius announced, pointing an incriminating finger in his friend's direction.

James's mouth dropped open and he shoved Sirius off his bed. "You git!"

Grace covered her face. "Oh, what's that smell? Jeesh, Remus, I'm messy too, but this..."

Remus took a moment to glare at his friends, but restricted himself from yelling in front of Grace. Taking a very forced series of calm breaths, he replied, "I- it's not usually like this," his face fell as he took a glance at his erupting trunk and found Grace's present- while it had last rested on top of his neatly folded robes- now lay buried underneath his trunk's spilled contents. "Your present," he began half-heartedly, scratching his head and smiling weakly. "I know it's in here somewhere... I just-"

"You know, that's all right," Grace said, looking as if the stagnant odor was about to make her sick. She backed up hastily. "You can just give it to me when you find it, I'll see you later, then..." She was practically out of the dormitory before even finishing her sentence.

Not minding to calm himself now that Grace was gone, Remus turned to face his dorm-mates with a crazed look upon his face; scowling and wild-eyed.

Sirius flashed him an innocent grin and took a large stride backwards. "I don't know what happened..." he said with mock confusion, shaking his head with large angelic eyes. "It just... er... exploded, or something."

Remus growled, taking a menacing step towards his obviously guilty friend. Sirius's smile faltered as he looked over to James for help. "It wasn't me, right James?" he prodded him with a nod and hopeful grin.

"What, you want me to _help_ you now?" James admonished, raising a brow incredulously. "And just after you tried pinning it on me?"

Sirius nodded fervently. "Sure."

"I don't _care_ who did it," Remus seethed. "I just- oh, you know what?" Breaking his menacing stride toward Sirius, he whipped around and brandished his wand.

Sirius stumbled back. "Hey! There's no need for hexing!"

"I'm not hexing you, you prat," Remus grumbled as he pointed his wand to the ground. He muttered a spell, and a white spot appeared underneath it. As he dragged his wand along the floor, a white line appeared with it and by the time he was finished, framed his bed with several feet of space in-between.

Sirius nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think he's gone mad."

Remus tucked his wand away and stood firmly in front of the magicked band of white that encircled his bedtime habitat. "This is a line," he stated loudly.

James frowned. "You're only affirming our suspicions, you know."

Remus continued on, ignoring them. "Not one morsel of your grimy little entities is to pass this line, and if you do... Well, let's just say I've been reading a lot over the holidays and know some pretty good... _Permanent_... hair hexes."

Sirius covered his head with fear as James and Peter grimaced as well.

"Got it?" Remus prodded.

Three nods- one exasperated and two terribly frightened- were his response. "Good," Remus said. "Now clean up this mess."

When all of his friends remained frozen, he questioned them with an incredulous raise of his palms. Sirius shrugged. "You said we couldn't pass the line."

* * *

A week of the usual Herbology mishaps and Potion disasters passed by, only one class in particular standing out amongst the others. 

For, in this class, James pestered Lily. And in this very same class, (yes, the exact same one, on the exact same day, at the exact same time), Lily did not retort.

Lily did _not_ retort.

It left her friends in awestruck wonder and amazement.

Julie had beamed at her friend for taking the advice she had given before Christmas, while Grace checked her head for a fever.

True, the steaming red-head held fast onto her books with white knuckles, inhaling and exhaling in short breaths as if methodically channeling her anger.

Also true, her foot seemed to slip and stomp on his big toe, but that was merely an accident. All in all, it was progress.

This is why, when Grace and Julie left her alone in the common room to finish up her studying, she had to concentrate with all her might on the words of intellect before her, instead of the mischievous boy that sat unknowingly beside her.

/

James leaned back, letting out an audible sigh. It was a Friday night and he had nothing to do; Sirius was serving a detention for Professor Fluent, and Remus was explaining a recent Charms project to Peter in the library. He had conversed with his friend for awhile through their enchanted mirrors, but lately Professor Fluent's had become suspicious and started watching over their every move. It finally got too tedious, so they decided to give it a rest for the night.

Sighing again, James propped up his feet onto a chair neighboring his that he thought to be unoccupied.

Honestly, he did.

"Potter," Lily said slowly, still staring down at her book and not looking up to face him, "If you don't move your huge putrid feet right now I'll-"

James smirked and responded by inching his feet closer to her face. "There," he said mockingly. "I moved them."

Lily bit her lip to refrain from spitting out anything vulgar. "Fine," she said tightly. "It doesn't bother me."

Sighing yet again, James leaned further back and stretched out his arms. "You remember the first time we met, Evans?"

Lily frowned. "I try my best to forget such ghastly memories," she replied, fighting to maintain her unusually cool persona.

"I still have a mark from where you ran into me, you know."

Lily opened her mouth to shout back that it wasn't she but _he_ that had ran into the other, but then quickly shut it. She refused to let him get to her.

At the unexpected lapse of silence that followed this comment, James had nothing to do but continue on. "Yeah, we've acquired loads of memories, haven't we?"

Lily flipped a page in her book to prove her disinterest.

James nodded to himself. "There were all those times I beat you in ranks,"

Lily gulped down a retort and stared determinedly down at her book.

"And that time you earned yourself a reward,"

An indignant noise escaped her lips, but she shut them tight and further pursued her reading.

"And that time I saved you from the-"

"You did _not_ save me," Lily exclaimed, forgetting her anticipated coolness towards him and glaring at him with outrage instead. "I would never allow that!"

James tilted his head. "You know, a tremendous vein pops out of your neck when you're angry."

"Potter!"

"It's rather unsightly."

"Oh, shove off!" She whipped around and wrenched his feet away from her chair, thrusting them to the ground. "You're such an incredibly-"

"Wait," James said suddenly, straightening up in his chair. "What is that?"

Lily paid his question no mind. "-And I can't _believe_ how much of a worit-"

"Evans, James stared at her meaningfully. "Would you shut up for a minute?"

Lily scowled. "How _dare_ you-"

James ignored her and hopped on top of his chair, studying the nearly empty common room with a scrunched up face of concentration.

Lily trailed off her banter. "What are you doing, you idiot?"

"Shut up," he insisted, waving his hand for silence and continuing his search of the room. "Don't you hear that?"

Lily made a skeptical face. "Hear what? Nobody's saying anything, Potter."

James looked over at her with an incredulous face. "You don't hear that?" He shook his head. "I can't believe you don't hear that."

Lily crossed her arms and tried to look uninterested. "I don't care."

James's head jerked to the side abruptly. "You heard that though, right?" he whispered, leaning his head in the direction it had lurched. "Don't tell me you didn't hear that."

Lily huffed, finally giving up on her feigned indifferent attitude. Stepping closer to where James stood, she murmured quietly, "What?"

James beckoned her closer, and she wearily complied. Cupping his hand, he leaned forward to whisper his response.

His voice went a _tad_ louder than foreseen.

"A semblance!" James shouted, leaving Lily to cringe at her wounded eardrums. "A semblance of an impassioned atmosphere!"

Lily performed an enraged motion, kicking out her foot and making contact with his shins, causing him to lose balance and fall onto the arm of the chair he previously stood upon.

James continued to mockingly quote her beloved book from his sprawled out spot on the edge of the chair. "Or is it is voice?" he proclaimed. "His flowing, warm, and beautiful voice-"

"I'd go with the semblance," Sirius's voice added to the conversation. James turned towards his unexpected friend, which Lily took grateful advantage of.

"Ow!" James exclaimed, clutching his ear. "Your nails are as sharp as blades, Evans!"

Lily looked pleased with herself. "That's because I bite them."

"That's disgusting," Sirius spoke up. "Do you know how many germs accumulate on your fingernails in one day alone?"

Lily shrugged, giving James one more swift twist of the ear before turning away from the boys. "I'll take my chances."

James grimaced at the pain, but shook it off as Lily clambered up her staircase. "Wow," he marveled, sitting back down and shaking his head with surprise. "Can you believe that?"

Sirius sprawled out on a couch across from James. "Believe what?"

"Don't tell me you didn't see that," James said, throwing Sirius an incredulous look. "Evans was _all_ over me."

Sirius's face broke out into a broad grin. "Right," he simpered. "All over you, definitely."

* * *

A/N: Hm... You guys were _so_ wonderful in giving me tons of book suggestions, and since everyone here enjoys fantasy (most likely) or at least reading, I was wondering if you'd like me to include the list of recommendations in the next update. I was going to put it in this one, but it takes up a slightly monstrous amount of space, so I decided to see if you'd want it first. Thanks! 

Molly- Lol, sorry if I scared you with the beginning : ) Hm.. well yeah, the chapter was rushed, but it was sort of supposed to be that way, you know? I don't really know how to explain it. Ah yes, and I'm glad you liked the view of Sirius's family (even if it were only their retreating backs) and the L/J predicament. Thanks for the review, and thanks for the luck on the name! (I really need it...)

SeCrEt LiLy- Perhaps they would've, we'll never know, will we? Anyone in mind for Sirius? Psht. Like I'm going to tell you. ; ) Thanks for the review!

Ieyre- Hm... Yes, yes it would. Thanks for the review!

Windowseat Wonderer- When you said you were confused about the chapter, 'mostly' at the end, were there other parts you were confused about as well? I'm not going into the dream, but I just wanted to make sure you weren't confused too badly about anything else. Okie doke, thanks for the review!

Oliverwoodschic- Glad to help, and I can understand why you might not remember the purple hair.. that was 34 chapters ago, after all. Wow. That's much too long, isn't it? Oh well... Thanks for the review!

Ninde Annare- Ah yes, it was sort of a cliffie, wasn't it? Unfortunately, the cliffie shall not be continued/explained for a while. Not being mean, it's just the way things have got to go ; ) Thanks for the review!

TenniStar514- I'm glad you liked the chapter and dream, and an ominous feeling, ooh nice. : ) Thanks so much for taking the time to review, it means a lot!

Curiousknowitall- I dunno why, sometimes we all just need a slight change. I might wait to switch names, though fanfiction is really good about that. The only thing that changes is the name, so everything else stays where it is (It'll still show chapters under my new name and all) Wow! Thanks for the incredible amount of books, I appreciate that soo much. : )

EW4eva- Hmm... the joke about the duck and a grape will be told, if you'd like. Probably through MSN though, unless I can think of a way to fit it in the story. Lol yes, the Marauders are bad at making up stories. Thanks for the many reviews, I appreciate it very much!

Padfootz- Yeah I know, the length _was_ misleading, wasn't it? I tried to make this chapter longer, but unfortunately the review responses will probably still deceive you : ( Well I'm glad you liked the chapter, thanks for the review!

Blood Emerald- Hehe, glad you like the review replies. I worry that it's too much sometimes, I hope it doesn't bother people. (I know I like when author's respond, too, it makes you feel special) Ooh pink flamingos do rock! L/J? Keep it going I shall.

ImperishableStars- Hehe yes, the writing style was a _tad_ different. Very big 'KA..boom' indeed. ::sigh:: I liked the pen name too... yikes, decisions, decisions. Thanks for the review!

Espergirl04- I'm very happy you liked all those parts (and I understand loving Sirius, not much can compare, can it?) Yes, Mrs. Potter is just lovely like that, a scary contrast to evil Mrs. B. Thanks so much for the review!

Dance-flirt- Lol, yes, I did that on purpose. Wow! That was a very long review indeed, thanks ever so much! Hm... Not quite sure about the FFC challenge, (and now I have 'It's a Grand Old Flag' stuck in my head, thanks) ::sigh:: I absolutely love that movie too. Ever After forever! Er, yeah. Um.. oh, glad you liked the comforter description, I was thinking of you when I wrote that (since you pester me about description so much) All right now, I think this is long enough, ta ta!

Sadiler- Aw, thanks! I'm so glad you like the story, and that review made me feel awesome ; ) Thanks again for that incredible review, farewell until the next response...

Misakichi1- Yes, you'll catch on, don't worry ; ) Oh, I'm glad you like the new penname (I never thought changing it would cause such a conflict!) ::sigh:: I'm still not sure if I'm going to change it or not. Thanks so much for the fabulous review!

Mistyrious- Yay! Congrats on being the big 900, and thanks so much for all the reviews leading up to that! Ooh and I agree, let's throw a party : ) You're hosting!

Eiko- Wow! That review made me feel so good, I'm really glad you like it so much! Yeesh, I feel ya, mothers just don't understand fanfiction, do they?

Sparky-285- I'm happy you like the story, thanks so much for the awesome review! I didn't mind checking your story out, and in fact I'm glad I did ; ) Hope to talk to you soon, thanks again!

Jess- Oh good, glad I could amuse you ; ) Don't worry, Lily and James's 'togetherness' shall commence soon (If you can't tell by this chapter, it's sparking as we speak). Thanks for the review!

Dracapotter12- I've heard the DaVinci Code is really good, too. Thanks for the suggestions! I'm glad you liked the story, and hope you had fun on vacation!

Jillie- Thanks for all the suggestions! Even the ones that I don't choose for my summer reading, I'm still going to try and make a point to read them. They sound really interesting, thanks for taking the time to review and recommend!

WoW-Girl- Well your suggestion is great, but it's not exactly what I'm going for. While the boys are grand pranksters, the only reason they have a 'group name' is because they're proud of that, and the girls (although not goodie-goodie's) don't favor just pranking for the fun of it. Thanks for the idea though, and I'm glad you liked it!

MissBlueAngel- How do I get reviews? I threaten them, every last one of 'em. I threaten them until they're so scared that they'll click the purple button in trembling fear, and leave several lines of response. Sometimes I even fly out to their houses and stalk them until they review, but occasionally I go too far and that results in flames. It all depends on the sort of day, really.

MysticPrincess-the angelicspunkgirl- I'm glad you like it, and don't worry, more L/J soon. I can't just rush into things, you must understand. I'm trying to make this as realistic as possible, and to have them suddenly like each other or something wouldn't fit those terms. Happy you liked the 'E' conversation, thanks for the review!

Pline- Hmm... Why does James pick on her especially? Who _knows_ how that boy's twisted mind works. Well actually, I know... but I'm not going to tell you : p Lol, thanks for the review!

Californiagurl- Hey, I know you! You're that Lily Enchanted girl ; ) I'm pleased one of my favorite authors would take the time to read my story, thanks ever so much!

Siriusismine- Phew! I must say, I was worried about you. How was vacation? Good, I hope. Sorry about last chapter's shortness, hopefully this one shall compensate. Yeah, I don't think I'm changing my name. Thanks for the review!!

Gaby-Malfoy- Yay!! You're back : ) I'm really glad you enjoyed England, you lucky duck, you. Yeah, keep reading (you were reviewing ch. 33 when I updated this) because Remus does get better. Thanks for the review!

Khasmin- I'm really glad you like it, it's always wonderful to get new reviewers : ) Thanks bunches for the review, tootles!

A/N: Er... By the way the 'semblance...' and 'warm, beautiful...' lines were from Lily's book. In case you didn't catch that : )


	38. Confounding Conduct and Hilarious Hoaxes

Standing There By You

Ch. 38- Confounding Conduct and Hilarious Hoaxes

Disclaimer: Nope, non lo possiede

A/N: Special thanks to dulcis for all her awesome suggestions and last minute betaing, I forever bow to her greatness. And I hope Jill breaks many legs.

* * *

"I'm bored." 

James picked at his bed-curtain. "Sorry to hear that, Sirius."

"I mean, really bored."

James plucked a loose fuzzy from the thick material. "Oh," he said simply, observing the fluff from several different angles.

"Astoundingly bored."

James let the whisp of cotton fly down onto his bed. Still watching it, he replied, "Let's go work on the Animagus potion, then."

Sirius shook his head. "It's still brewing."

Frowning, James watched as his source of amusement floated to the floor. "Go take a trip to the kitchens."

Sirius sighed. "I'm not hungry."

James started, looking up abruptly in concern. "Are you sick?"

"No," Sirius kicked the side of his bed and rocked back and forth. "Just _bored_."

James threw his friend one more glance to make sure he wasn't afflicted with a strange disease. Satisfied he hadn't turned into a fluffy dish towel or anything of that abysmal sort, he turned back to the curtains in search for some other form of entertainment. "Do you want to play chess?"

Sirius frowned. "No."

"Pull a prank?"

"No."

James lifted a brow. "On Snivellus?"

"Sure!"

James groaned, feigning irritation as Sirius hopped around happily, dragging him out of bed. "All right, all right, I'm coming. What do you plan to do, anyway?"

Sirius paused for a moment, lingering between James and the doorway. A thought struck him, and holding up a finger to signal for him to hold on, Sirius darted into the closet.

James watched with curiosity as his friend clambered around in their small closet, and after several squeaks, chimes, and explosions, walked back into the room.

"Well come on, then," Sirius beckoned, arms full of a variety of pranking supplies. "Let's go."

Scratching his head in wonder, but not bothering to ask, James followed his very odd friend out the door.

-------------

Grace held her hands out to balance her, placing one foot over the other as she walked along a collection of rocks beside the lake. "Julie, I'm telling you, Professor Fluents' hair is totally fake."

Julie watched uneasily as her friend wobbled a bit on an uneven stone.

"No!" she replied, giggling. "How do you know?"

"How could I _not_?" Grace admonished, hopping down onto solid ground. She turned to Julie and widened her eyes. "I swear it's different than last year. Maybe he was part of a horrid potion experiment gone wrong, or something."

As they neared the school's entrance, Julie shook her head. "I don't think so... He doesn't seem the type."

Grace sighed as they climbed the front steps. "Well, I suppose there's only one thing we can do."

"What?" Julie asked curiously, as she followed Grace back into Hogwarts. "What do you mean-"

"Well we've got to ask him ourselves," she replied simply, giving Julie a gentle shove down the hall. "There he is now," she raised her voice, "PROFESSOR FL-"

"No!" Julie shrieked, ducking out of Grace's grasp. The Potions professor heard the commotion however, and turned briskly around. Spotting the two young Gryffindors, he narrowed his eyes and paced towards them.

Julie retreated slightly, but Grace remained casual and calm. "Hello professor!" she greeted cheekily.

"What are you two doing out on the grounds this late?" he demanded.

Grace's smile stayed put. "What are _you_ doing on the-"

"It's only seven o'clock," Julie pointed out hurriedly, doing her best to speak above her friend's big mouth.

Grace spoke up before the professor had the chance to reply. "Actually, we're glad you're here. You see, Julie doesn't believe that you have-"

"Have a dog!" Julie cut in, gulping at the professor's suspicious and livid face. She added meekly, "You just... just strike me as more of a cat person, is all."

He crossed his arms, turning his head to stare at each of the girls in intimidating silence. "Actually," he finally drawled, "my preference would be a guinea pig, if you must know."

Grace and Julie didn't quite know what to do with this information. "Well that's nice," Julie hesitantly replied. "I've heard they're uh, excellent companions."

Grace still stared at her professor with a contemplative air. "Oh!" she finally spoke, eyeing his silky brown locks and grinning resolutely. "They've got all that luxurious fur, no? All natural..."

Julie covered her mouth at this comment, trying very hard to conceal her giggles as a yawn. "We're tired," she managed to gasp, grabbing Grace's arm and yanking her away from their confused professor. "Goodnight!"

Their laughter echoed down the corridor as they hastily made their way back to their dormitories, and barely even noticed when Lily joined their side.

"What are you on about?" Lily asked, smiling at her friends' content and laughing faces.

"Where did you come from?" Grace asked, her chortles decreasing.

"Yeah," Julie nodded from the other side of Grace. "I thought you wanted to resign to bed early."

Lily shook their questions off. "I just-"

"Miss Evans," a voice boomed down the hallway. Grace and Julie swiveled around to see Dumbledore's towering figure heading their way. Lily, however, only increased her speed.

"Ah, Miss- Miss Evans, please," the Headmaster tried again, quickening his pace as well.

Lily heaved a groan of frustration and hastened her walk to a near jog. "You've already talked my ear off enough for one night, sir," she addressed him with a tone of impatience.

Grace and Julie hurried along to continue next to her, mouths gaping. "What's going on?" Grace questioned incredulously. She and Julie glanced at each other with matching expressions of shock; Lily had never talked back to a professor, let alone the Headmaster.

"Nothing," Lily shrugged them off. Turning to see Dumbledore had disappeared somewhere back into the shadows of Hogwarts, she slowed her pace back to normal and shook her head. "I just don't have time for that barmy old fool's blubbering nonsense."

-------------

"_You're_ not supposed to be down here."

Sirius looked down to see a scarlet haired boy, no older than 11, staring up at him with narrowed grey eyes. James was wandering on the other side of the hallway, in search of the common room entrance.

Sirius looked amused, but just on the edge of irritation. "Oh yeah, who says?"

"It's the _Slytherin_ corridor," the boy replied, his voice surprisingly pompous for a child. "_I'm_ a Slytherin, and _you're_ not."

Sirius stared at him for awhile, before squatting down to match his height. "I wouldn't be to proud of that if I were you," he whispered, before standing up to prove his towering stature in comparison to the small boy.

The Slytherin first year scowled back at him. Rolling his eyes and shaking his shaggy black hair, Sirius turned away from him and moved back towards his friend.

James shrugged his greeting. "I don't know where the blasted thing is. We'll just have to wait for him to come out."

"Aren't you gone yet?" the pestering boy questioned, at Sirius's heels once more. "We don't want Gryffindors on _our_ side of the school."

James smirked, viewing the far from pleasant boy for the first time. "Gryffindors can go wherever we please," James informed him. "It's you Slytherins that have to watch your step."

The young boy glowered. "I'm going to get a prefect-"

"No you won't," James shook his head.

The boy pressed on. "Yes I will, they're right inside.. Hey!"

James and Sirius shook with laughter at the entertaining site before them. "I'd like to see you go fetch a prefect now!" James hooted.

The young Slytherin gaped at his stock still feet, and then felt his arms to see if they had paralyzed as well. He found they hadn't, and that only his upper body was mobile. "Change me back!" the boy demanded. When the older boys only continued laughing, he admonished, "My feet are hardening, what-"

"Yes, very hard," Sirius nodded.

James grinned. "Like a rock!"

The moment he said this the boy's feet and lower legs turned a greyish sort of color, and began to crust around the edges. Moss fastened around his ankles and curtained his shoes. "Change it back!" the boy squealed. "I can't move my feet!"

"Sure you can move them," said Sirius, glancing down the hallway as if the scene was starting to bore him. "Go on, they're just a tad heavier."

The boy looked back at him angrily with a disbelieving glare, before resigning and testing his transformed feet. He found that he _could_ move... If he hopped with all of his might and steadied himself wearily every other second. Finding no other option, the boy hopped in the opposite direction, tripping over the dangling moss every few feet.

"Annoying little bugger, wasn't he?" James commented, watching as the boy tripped down the corridor.

Sirius nodded in agreement. "He-"

"_Hullabaloo_!"

Sirius cut off, doubling over in pain as a large popping noise echoed across the hall and pain streaked across his abdomen. His hands felt the front of his robes and found bubbles forming in the skin around his naval. Looking up in horrified shock, he was met with a seething Severus Snape, wand pointed out in front of him.

Sirius let out a string of curses, ignoring the pain and reaching to grab his own wand as James did the same.

Before Severus had a chance to hex James as well, the feisty Gryffindor pounced in front of him and shouted a leg-locker curse, just as Sirius yelled _Furnunculus_.

Snape grew rigid, falling hard on the stone floor. Boils from Sirius's curse formed around his hairline and collarbone, his expression a mixed look of frustration and horror as they continued to grow and he still remained immobile.

"Hexing me when my back's turned, eh Snivelly?" Sirius said, still wincing at the continuous bubbles along his stomach. "Now do you really think that's such a good idea?"

"You hexed one of my housemates," Severus spit. "You-"

"Now what do you think we should do to him?" James asked, glancing thoughtfully over at Sirius. In doing so he realized his friend was still writhing in pain. "Oh, you okay mate?"

Sirius nodded grimly. "Yeah, just hurry up."

James turned back to the fixed form of Severus. Crossing his arms, he asked, "Are you fond of closets, Snivellus?"

* * *

"...So grab your respective goggles, and you may begin." 

The fourth years hastened to grab a pair of the wide-rimmed protective glasses, hopping over haphazardly placed potted plants and ducking under fast growing vines.

It was the first muggy afternoon of the season, a sure sign spring was well on its way. The Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors had gathered reluctantly for this highly eventful class, the sticky air of the greenhouse thickening the air with humidity and an all around uncomfortable atmosphere.

Lily swatted loose strands of hair away from her neck, and fastened on her goggles. "Should be an easy day," she commented, glancing at the labeled plants in front of her.

"Yeah," Julie agreed. "Easy, but sticky."

Beside her Grace sighed, trying in vain to knot her hair up. "I wish I'd brought a scrunchie," she said woefully.

Julie shrugged slightly and curled her fingers around a fallen and dried vine. "Here, try this."

Grace took the plant gratefully and tied it around her hair. "Thanks!" she said cheerfully. Once the task was completed, she leaned over Lily and helped sort the plants. "Oh, I think you've got the Binoct and Salve mixed up," she informed her, and rotated the pots to the correct positions.

Lily shook her head, and switched the plants back to their original order. "No, I was right the first time."

Grace glanced backwards at Julie and they shared a look. Their friend had been acting rather strange as of late, everything seemed to set her off and her usual actions now proved unorthodox.

"Lily," Julie started wearily. "I'm pretty sure-"

"Okay, now we've got to fill the plants with this stuff," Lily continued loudly, either ignoring her friends' corrections or not listening to what they had to say. "Here," she said, lifting a lumpy bag marked in what seemed a foreign language. "You hold the pot and I'll pour."

Julie glanced over at Grace, who just shook her head and reached to hold the pot. Out of the corner eye, she saw her friend mouth, "Completely crackers."

-------------

James rolled up the arms of his robe, effectively dirtying the black fabric with the crumbly substance they had filled their pots with. He craned his neck to look at Sirius. "So, you think he got out yet?"

Sirius shrugged, a grin playing across his lips. "Nah, he's not smart enough. Unless somebody found him."

Remus shook his head. "I don't even want to know."

Peter looked up. "I do," he said. "What happened?"

"Eh, nothing," Sirius said, standing up next to James and grabbing a large pot. "Just taught ol' Snivelly a lesson."

"Oh," Peter nodded, smiling along with them. "That's good."

"This is dumb," Sirius grumbled, setting down the bag halfway across his trip and letting out an impatient huff. "I mean, what's the point?"

"The point is," Remus grabbed the bag and carried it completely to the correct destination, "that it's our grade. You know, those things we receive every semester?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Big deal."

"Mister Black, Mister Potter, and Miss Evans," Professor Sprout's voice rang throughout the greenhouse. The three beckoned raised their heads in her direction, and saw her holding several sheets of parchments and sending off a young first year, that by the looks of it appeared to be serving as a messenger.

James and Sirius looked at one another, and then strode up to the head of the class as one. "From Dumbledore," Professor Sprout informed them, handing a leaf of parchment each it was addressed to. "Requests your presence in his office, I'd assume."

James's mouth dropped open as he and Sirius trod back to their stations. "He told," he exclaimed in a whisper, "Snivellus told!"

Sirius shook his head, scowling. "The no good prat."

"Oh he'll pay," James assured his friend, as they reached their group and scooped up their supplies. Twisting around, he knocked a neighboring station's plant over and the contents spilled all over the ground. "Let's go," James said, oblivious to the mess he had created. His friend nodded and the two headed out of the class.

------------

"Oh," Julie groaned, grimacing when her foot hit a grainy substance that littered the floor. She turned to Grace. "Was this our plant?"

Grace wiped away a smudge of dirt on top of her forehead and looked over. She sighed. "Yeah. Must've been one of those stupid boys."

Julie shook her head and squatted down beside the mess, grabbing a clean cloth in the process. Looking up, she spotted Lily returning from the teacher's front desk. "Hey Lily, can you hand me that brush?" she asked, pointing to a bristly cleaning supply.

"Sure." Lily grabbed the object and tossed it to her friend, before busying herself with the rest of the assignment.

Grace swept up some scattered clumps of dirt so they landed nearer to Julie. "Need help?" she asked, beginning to stoop down beside her.

Julie waved her off. "No, I'm almost done."

Grace nodded and straightened back up. "All right." She turned to Lily, who had placed on her goggles once more and continued potting the plants. "What did the note say? Aren't you supposed to be going down to Dumbledore's office?"

Lily shook the fast emptying bag, ridding of even the last bits of dirt. "Nah," she said, opening the next bag and replacing the pot with another. "It was nothing."

Grace frowned, and peeked over at Julie who had also looked up from her stooped position. She began tentatively, "Do you think we could maybe... see it?"

"Nope, sorry," Lily replied lightly, digging her fingers into the crumbly potted dirt. "I've already fed it to that plant."

As if on cue, the plant Lily had nodded towards let out a loud burp, followed by a content sigh as it nestled back into its pot. Grace turned to stare strangely at her friend, astonished and worried by her extremely peculiar behavior. She squinted her gaze into the girl's intense emerald one. "Are you _sure_ you're Lily?"

-------------

"Sir, I'm sure he didn't tell you the whole truth-"

"I swear we only hexed him in defense-"

"If he said anything about a closet, he's completely making it up-"

"He knew what was going to happen-"

"We lost the key, really-"

Dumbledore didn't have to say anything to cause their chattering to cease, but only stare with a particular dignified look and in a moment they were silent. He peered over them carefully, causing a disconcerting feeling that he could witness and read their thoughts with ease. He leaned forward in his chair. "Mister Snape has only informed me of the reasoning behind a first year's peculiar state. He's said nothing of a closet."

James and Sirius froze. "Er... right," Sirius finally spoke up. "Well like I said, if he did it would've been rubbish, so you see-"

"That's enough, Mister Black," the old Headmaster said wearily. He turned his gaze to meet James's, and then back towards Sirius. "Well if neither of you care to explain the truth, I'll have no choice but to cast you a month of detentions."

Sirius shrugged, and whispered, "So long as they're not with-"

"Professor Fluent has so kindly agreed to take care of this. You are to report to his office tomorrow, immediately after the dismissal of your last class."

James's mouth dropped open. "A month with _him_? There's no way-"

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Dumbledore proclaimed, his eyes gleaming cryptically. "Now if I were you two, I'd get some sleep. You have got a long month ahead of you."

* * *

A/N: The list of recommendations, by popular demand, can be found at the bottom. I only added the ones people have given me ending with chapter 36, because my head hurts and I can't copy and paste anything else. But I still really appreciate them nonetheless. Okie doke... I told you it took up a lot of space... so please don't yell at me : ) 

Dreamlessnights- Lol, well if she didn't bite them before, she bites them now ; ) Thanks for the review!

Secret Lily- ::Ahem:: I apologize in advance for this _extremely_ lame joke. Yupyup, you're right, Remus is a very purple person. And Grace is also a very purple person. Let's just hope a Purple-People-Eater doesn't come along and snatch them up! One eyed, one horned, flying purple people eater...

EW4eva- James, James, oh James. Very thin in appearance, but very thick in mindset. What shall we do with him? I know what _beta_ would do with him... wink wink. Thanks for the review!

Padfootz- I'm very happy you enjoyed it, thanks as always for the reassuring review!

MissBlueAngel- Hm... Sorry I didn't update tomorrow. But really, it is tomorrow. In some place, for some people, for some day... Thanks for the review!

JKRobssessed- Hehe, nice penname. Yeah, I went through this phase (okay it was like two weeks ago) where I updated just about every other day... but recently it's down to one a week, cause of school, tennis and all that junk. I'm glad you liked it though, thanks for the review!

FreckledIrishMaiden- Perplexing, nice word. Glad you liked James and Lily's 'confrontation in the common room' (I don't know why I quoted that, no one's ever said it before... It just looks more professional, no?) Thanks for the reviews!

Ninde Annare- Your inspirational words guide me through each chapter, thanks endlessly, and as always, much appreciated.

Molly- You know, I'm jealous of her too. Let's just omit her from the story, and add ourselves in! Oh wait... I've already done that. Hehe... (that's meek laughter) I'm happy you liked it so much, thanks for the awesome review!

Curiousknowitall- Ack, don't be mad at Sirius! It's just his nature... Just his friend harassing taunting and teasing nature. : ) Wow! You sure do know a lot of books. I've already finished my summer reading (yet to do the projects, though...) but thanks! Aw, that snitch is so cute, but it won't let me do the little wing part, drats. Thanks though!

Siriusismine- Buona fortuna con il teatro e Joey.

Imperishable Stars- Hello! Thanks for the recommendation, you make it sound great so I'll try to check it out. Hehe yeah... Lily and James are coming up soon, so hopefully it won't be anymore forgettable! Thanks as always for the fantastic review!

Gaby-Malfoy- You know, intriguing is just about the hardest word to spell. In fact, I just put it through spell check just to make sure.. hehe. Thanks for the great reviews, I'm glad you enjoyed it : )

Dance-flirt- Oh no! I hope you got the bug. Ah, I love that part! She throws him over her shoulder and badabam! Oh, the Gypsies were great, too. I'm glad you liked the 'purple' line... lol I'd have to admit, I knew that sometime or another my purple obsession would seep into the story. Thanks for the review!

Mistyrious- Oh my, you're much too flattering. : ) No, alas I am not that fantasy goddess, although I really wish I were... You were very enthusiastic in your last review, hehe. Thanks though, I really appreciate it!

Khasmin- I'm happy that you're enjoying this, thanks so much for the great reviews!

Libby Bird- Thanks mucho for the incredible reviews : ) Let's see, you're questions... Well Sirius, he just strikes me as a beater sort. Vents his anger a bit, you know how that goes. Actually, truth is my views have changed a _lot_ since I first started this fic... there's loads that I'd change, and that just might be one of them. Hmm what else.. oh, do I use the wrong words? Could you be more specific, cause while I'm sure you're correct, I don't really know what you're referring to. Ooh glad you like the Latin spells : ) It's nice when somebody takes notice of little things like that.

Dulcis- Now, don't expect four review responses, you. Hehe you're so funny. Thanks for the multiple reviews, I think you very well got your point across. Hmm... over-descriptive, you think?

Ieyre- Aww it's not completely lame... ::sigh:: Fine, side with James. We (me and Lily) see how it is. Humph. Hehe.. just joshin. Thanks for the review!

Irgova- Yay, I'm glad you like! It's always wonderful to get new readers, thanks for the review!

Californiagurl- Eh, it's all right about the dwindling of Lily Enchanted, I understand lost muses. I'm glad you liked the realisticness, thanks mucho!

DobbyGrl- Cute penname. I'm glad you liked the beginning, let me know how you feel about the rest! Thanks for the review : ) Ooh you just reviewed again! Hehe, thanks bunches, I'm glad you like it so much!

Charmed4ever- Hehe I'll do my best to achieve that greenness. Oh, and I have a question. Why don't you just use author alert on stories, so you don't have to keep checking your log-in screen? That way it just e-mails you whenever a story you put under alert updates. Well, thanks as always!

Romulan Empress- Your review bugged me! Hehe... well not really, but it's irking me because I can't find the blasted line quoting 'fluffy precipitation'! I've skimmed it several times now, ::sigh::. You read Harry Potter? No... Lol, thanks for the review!

Sblomie- Oh, I'm always happy to hear I could make somebody laugh : ) Sorry about your hammering madre, but I understand about that. Thanks for taking the time to review anyway, it really made my day!

Misakichi1- Wow, you know what? Delusional is an excellent word to describe James! I updated as soon as I could, thanks so much for the fantastic review!

Warrior of Tortall- Keep writing? I shall. Thanks for the review!

Pline- NO! Capital N Capital O! Lily does _not_ like dear old James, by any means. I've always figured her to start have feeling for him in their last year, too, because that's what JKR insinuates. Well now that we've got that cleared up... thanks for the review!

Sapphire039- Wow, I love you!! Okay... Now you probably find me extremely odd, but really, I do! I just clicked on your name to check out your bio, and aww you say stuff about my story! (Kinda) well you say good stuff about the 'two stories in your favorites' and I really appreciate that soo much. Hehe... I clicked on the favorite stories category, waiting in anticipation to see if it could possibly be _me_, and alas! It was! Thanks for making my day, tootles!

AnG3L1c diVa-chan- I'm glad you like it : ) Thanks for that excellent review, I'm happy you like Grace and Remus, and don't worry, Lily and James 'stuff' will start happening soon. Notice I said 'stuff' instead of 'fluff', because you see, 'fluff' would probably not involve Lily threatening to hex James whenever he asks her to Hogmeade : ) I don't mean to make you guys wait forever or anything, but JKR _did_ say they started going out in seventh year. Well, actually Sirius said it, but JKR wrote it. Okie doke, thanks for the review!

Sallymander- Oh yay, I absolutely love when people say I make them laugh! It's so awesome, thanks for letting me know ; ) I'm happy you like it so much, thanks loads for the excellent review!

Luna Gypsy- Se levina? Hehe.. sorry, my beta and I tried learning Slovak, and the only thing we remember is that, and we don't even know if it's spelled right. It means 'are you lazy?' which I guess wouldn't make sense to write, since you already said you are, hehe. Well anyway, thanks for the review!

Jess- Lol, yes, poor Remus. His friends are rather embarrassing, aren't they? Thanks for the review and recommendations, I've heard that series is very good : )

****

Ah, the list.

Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) **Goddess of Yesterday (Caroline B. Cooney)**

The Named (Marianne Curley) **Seer and the Sword Golden Compass/Subtle Knife/Amber Spyglass **

Girl With a Pearl Earring **The Other Bolyn Girl**

The Scions of Shannara **The Blue Sword**

The Lost Years of Merlin **This Lullaby (Sarah Dessen)**

The DaVinci Code **The Pendragon series (Hale)**

Shadowmancer (GP Taylor) **Eragon (Christopher Paolini)**

Hard Love (Ellen Wittlinger) **Stormbraker (Anthony Horawitz)**

Ella Enchanted (Gail Carson Levigne) **Crispin (Avi) **

Anna Karenina **Eragon (Christopher Paolini)**

Among the Hidden (Margaret Peterson Hadix) **Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)**

Artimis Fowl (Eion Colfer) **Crestomanci Coronicles (Diana Wyne Jones)**

The Hobbit (JRR Tolkien) **A Series of Unfortunate Events (Lemony Snicket)**

The Supernatralist (Eion Colfer)**The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)**

The City of Ember (Depru) **Midnight for Charlie Bone (Jenny Nimmo)**

Stowaway Hangman's Curse (Frank Peretti)

Bold doesn't mean anything. Just seperates.


	39. Unconventional Kindred and Bamboozling B...

Standing There By You

Ch. 39- Unconventional Kindred and Bamboozling Boys

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it.

A/N: The author is currently hanging her head in shame for the extended amount of time lapsed from the last update till now.

But she would like you wonderful readers out there to know that school and tennis are very strenuous. Friends moving and new jobs don't help, either.

The author will leave now, pondering why she is referring to herself in third person, and let you read the chapter.

* * *

"Do you remember," Sirius panted, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow with his sleeve, before returning to bend over the hard stone floor, "what freedom feels like?"

"No," James sighed, wringing out his sponge and sloshing the dirty water across the floor. "I really can't say that I can."

"Are you talking?" Professor Fluent demanded, sneering above the boys from the high altitude he currently reigned above them. "I thought I said, _no talking_."

It was very hard not to imagine their professor twisting a long handlebar mustachearound his finger and cackling like a madman. "He's nutters," Sirius commented in an undertone. "Can you say slave-driver?"

"You can add de-webbing the pantry to the list for your persistent jibbers," said Professor Fluent. "And I won't hesitate to add more if I hear you utter one more word." He twisted around and returned back to his desk at the front of the room.

Sirius rolled his eyes. 'The list' was in all actuality a manifest of scrutizinglabors and forced exertiontheir professor demanded of them each day; apparently it was fixed by how well they behaved, but Sirius believed it all depended on what side of the bed he woke up on.

"Bugger," James grunted, as he wiped his hands free of the filthywater. "We're never going to get out of here in time for practice!"

Sirius winced as he remembered their week-before-the-game-must-attend-or-die-practice. "Yeah, Redop'll go psycho on us if we don't show. But I'm sure we can finish."

"Right," James looked over to the list Fluent had magicked onto the board and groaned. "We've still got to clean the cauldrons, soak the supplies... not to mention scrub and repeat, dust the windows, scrape the ceiling, de-grit the floors, store and preserve the grime... ugh, we'll never get outta here!"

Sirius looked up slowly, a grin etching gradually across his face and that all-too-familiar glint appearing in a glittering grey eye. "Never say never, my friend."

---

Remus smiled as he recognized a girl with bouncing black locks bound down the stairs toward him. "Hi," came Grace's hasty greeting, as she plopped onto a worn burgundy couch and shifted to the cushion next to Remus. She was holding a parchment in one hand, and a bottle of nail-polish in the other; by the looks of it (and the smudged purple blotches on her left hand) her owl had delivered the letter in the middle of a make-shift manicure.

A smile tweaked his lips, as Remus took in the girl before him. "Hello," he replied happily. He peered at the parchment. "What do you have there?"

Grace smiled back. "A letter."

"Well _obviously_,"Peter added his two cents in from several seats down. "He wants to know what's _in_ the letter." He rolled his eyes for extra emphasis.

Grace laughed as Remus shot Peter a glare, before she glanced back down at the letter. "I asked mum if you could visit a bit over the holidays," Grace informed him, shrugging nonchantedly. "Remember? Cause we were talking about it and all that one day and... Well anyway she said it'd be fine so you know, if you'd like..."

"Sure!" Came Remus's quick response as a grin spanned across his face. "That'd be great."

Remus could've sworn his saw relief cross Grace's face- but it couldn't have been, she was always the calm one, and Remus was always the one apprehensive and twitchy.

"Great," she smiled brightly. "You can ask your parents and let me know when." Remus nodded in response, and made to look down and continue his reading, when Grace stopped him. Her grin faltered a bit. "Well, there's some things you should know..."

---

"Okay, ready?" Sirius asked from his crouched position on the floor.

James gave an affirmative nod. "Ready."

Sirius flicked his wrist and a small explosion erupted in Fluent's back chambers. "Go, go, go," he whispered, and they were gone fast enough to just barely hear their professor's shouts of dismay.

"Okay, keep your eyes open," James said briskly, as they strode the halls at top-speed. "We know what we need, now all we've got to do is find it."

They scoured the corridors for several more minutes, before Sirius froze as if he were a predator sensing his prey. "There," he whispered. "Right up ahead."

James turned to face the direction Sirius had motioned to, and found several third years sitting around one of the many stone sills that accompanied the tall windows of Hogwarts. Two in particular sat next to each other within close proximity, a few feet apart from the others.

A smile spread across James's face. "Looks good to me."

Sirius nodded and cleared his throat loudly, causing the third years to start with surprise. "Hello, young third years," Sirius's booming announcement filled the corridor. "We have come to offer you something you just can't resist."

"An opportunity you can_not_ pass up," James proclaimed beside him. He appeared to glance at all of the curious third years in turn. "You there!" he called, pointing to the two huddled boys Sirius had previously pointed out.

The two now looked rather frightened at being made a spectacle. They turned to stare at one another and mouth wordlessly for several moments or so.

"We have chosen you," Sirius thundered, "you should be honored, for this is a chance above all others."

James nodded in solemn agreement. "Come, walk with us, and we shall show you what great glory and distinction you will hold."

The two boys looked flabbergasted at this statement, and slowly they rose from their spots on the floor to stand before James and Sirius. "A-all right," one stuttered, while the other nodded fervently. The two elder boys gave a swift collective nod, and in an instant strode rapidly down the hall, the third years following anxiously at their heals.

---

"Well it's nothing atrocious," Grace said, giggling at Remus's horrified expression. "My family's just a little... different."

Remus's face relaxed, but only slightly. "Oh, okay."

"There's just a lot to know," she continued, grabbing a nearby pillow and hugging it to her chest. "For example, my Great Aunt Cassidy, well she's friendly and all, but just watch out when she's off her rocker."

"Off her rocker?" Remus inquired. "So she's a little..." he made a face, unsure how to phrase the rest of his question.

Grace stared back blankly. "Yeah, off her rocker. She's really attached to that thing, if anyone even goes _near_ the worn out pillow of that ancient chair she'll bite your head off for sure."

---

"Here, hold your hood a little higher there," Sirius instructed, reaching out and tugging the top of the robe over the third year's forehead.

James sighed. "Stop stumbling around! It can't be _that_ hard to see through the glasses." The third year gulped and did his best to stand firmly on the ground.

"That reminds me," Sirius turned to James, "we've got to return these specs to that first year before he goes and blabs to a teacher. He should be able to survive until morning, eh?"

"Sure," James waved his hand dismissevly. He turned to the two awkwardly standing boys to view his and Sirius's handiwork.

The one right in front of him donned a pair of glasses they had snatched from a very gullible first year, sprouted clumps of messy black hair that James had a heck of a time charming, and an overly large hood draped around his neck, to be pulled up in due time.

The other boy didn't have much added to him, save a larger robe and Sirius's sneakers. His hood was pulled tightly over his head, because his stubborn red locks persistently crept through any charm.

"I think they're ready," James announced. Giving them two swift pats on the back, they all began to parade toward the dungeons, where Professor Fluent was surely waiting.

Once they approached the room, they could hear their professor scouring the dungeon in, no doubt, search for Sirius and James.

"Okay, remember to remain silent and under _no circumstances_, look up," Sirius told them.

The two boys nodded, and in response Sirius laughed loudly and then James in return- to reassure the professor it was really them- before shoving the kids into the room.

James smiled and made a motion as if rubbing his hands together in accomplishment. Sirius gave a thumb's up in return, as they both hurried away from the dungeons and down the hallway.

James grinned. "That was way too easy," he said, once they were out of earshot.

"Nah," Sirius waved his hand. "We're just skilled."

---

"And then there's Eileen, she's got these weird quirks that everything has to be stored on the left side of the cupboards-"

"Uh-huh..." said Remus warily.

"Oh and I can't forget about Maurine, she's mum's best friend and practically lives at our house-"

Remus tried to look more reassured than he felt. "Right."

"But what we've got to worry about most are my brothers; Patrick, Michael and Ryan, oldest from youngest- Michael and Ryan still live at the house, and even though he's old and has a family, Patrick practically lives there too. His wife Catherine and their daughter, Meghan, visit once a week for Sunday supper, but Meghan's over loads more. Michael is one of those crazy college kids and Ryan goes to Eton, they've both got friends over all the time, but as long as you steer clear of the 'who-cares' room on the eve of July the third, you'll be fine."

Remus sincerely wished he had a quill and parchment. Or maybe a machete.

He looked to his left and saw Grace heave herself into the deep, comfortable depths of the couch, thoroughly tired after that extended explanation. "It's really quite fun," Grace informed him with a lazy smile. "I just hope you don't mind commotion." She looked thoughtful. "Or Chinchillas."

---

"Wonder how that de-grimeing's going," Sirius snickered, as he and James entered the pitch, brooms in tow.

James smiled, looking mockingly wistful. "I'll be thinking about those beautiful cobwebs while we're, rather unfortunately of course, soaring through the air in this _blasted_ game."

"Potter, Black," Malcolm Redop shouted from the middle of the field. "Could you increase your trudge to a jog, maybe?"

The boys rolled their eyes, but complied nonetheless. When they approached the spot where the team stood huddled, Redop scowled the expected scowl of a captain at their tardiness.

"Sorry, Cap'n," Sirius apologized cheekily.

James looked around. "Is everyone already here?"

The distressed captain frowned, flicking the top of his left ear in an odd nervous habit. "Matsu's not here yet. Has anyone seen her?"

Just as he spoke this, an extremely scrawny girl tumbled onto the field, practically tripping over her own feet as she hurried towards her waiting teammates. Black pigtails tied high on her head bobbed up and down in her strenuous sprint until she finally reached them. She panted, arms flailing frantically. "The equipment, it's gone! I couldn't find any of it, except for... well..." She held up the shredded remains of what looked to previously be a beater's bat.

Sirius made a sympathetic face and clapped Grace hard on the back. "Tough luck," he shook his head grimly. "Look's like you're gonna have to buy another."

Grace scowled. "Yeah right! That's your bat, Sirius."

"Not-uh," Sirius replied childishly. "I can tell which is my bat, and that's definitely _not_ mine."

"Oh yeah?" Grace replied airily, stepping towards the wooden mess. "Then why does it say..." she sighed and rolled her eyes. "Property of Studmuffin?"

"Quite fond of yourself, eh?" Sirius shook his head at Grace. "Ah, it's all right; that's true," he nudged her several times in the ribs, "Remus is a _very_ lucky guy, if you know what I mean..." He barely had time to wiggle even one brow before Grace's shoe collided painfully with his shin.

Grace paused. "Wait, I'm...I'm not even a beater, you idiot!"

"All right, all right," Redop announced loudly over the scattered chatter. His finger was twitching madly against his ear as he paced before the now silenced team. "Well this is just wonderful. Someone stole it, I just know it-"

"Bet it was those blasted Slytherins!" Curtis Phillips proclaimed, stomping his foot into the ground in outrage. The team nodded in fervent agreement.

"And now we can't even practice," Redop babbled on as if he hadn't even heard Curtis, "it's a week from the game that'll decide _everything_, do you realize what this means?"

"We're going to be _awful_," Alexander Beaufort hung his head gloomily. Kami looked quite close to tears.

"There's got to be a penalty, but no, Dumbledore won't do anything without proof- you know, I bet they're all cackling like mad down in those-"

"Whoa," James held out his hands, eyes wide. "Settle down before you have a goose."

Grace looked at him strangely. "Have a goose?"

"Yeah sure," James stared at her, before shrugging. "You should know, it's muggle."

"No," Grace shook her head. "Even muggles can't produce geese."

Sirius started laughing. "That'd be funny."

"Were you going somewhere with this?" Redop demanded, looking on the very edge of sanity. "Or are we going to spend all of our time discussing the mating habits of geese?"

"That'd be interesting," Sirius commented. "We should start a club."

Redop's face went dangerously red, his knuckles going white with the tight grip of his robes. He turned to stare down at James. "Were you going to make a point, or is what comes out of your mouth just as senseless as his?"

Sirius's mouth dropped open. "Senseless!?"

James stepped in before the infuriated captain could throttle his admittedly infuriating friend. "Why don't we just practice without the equipment?" he suggested hastily. "We've still got our brooms."

For a moment Redop's stare lingered on James as if he had lost his mind. Then, slowly, he repeated, "Without equipment?"

"Sure," James shrugged. "Who knows, it might even be one of those mad things the professionals use that actually help better their game. Either way we haven't got any other options, right?"

The captain's fretful face loosened into a thoughtful grin. "Good thinking, Potter. Let's go, everyone in the air and start up the usual drills."

---

"They're so weird."

Julie looked up to see her friend staring up ahead, watching bemused as the Gryffindor Quidditch team dove around the pitch in a mad hunt for imaginary balls. She shrugged. "I'll never understand how a Quidditch player's mind works. Sometimes I swear Grace has gone nutters."

"Me too," Lily nodded, her smile the only contradiction against her serious reply. Quite abruptly her relaxed expression twisted to resemble horror, as she froze mid-stride and practically wrenched her ear off, grasping it tightly.

"What's wrong?" Julie asked, looking over her friend with concern.

"My earring," Lily breathed. "My earring- it, it's my mum's, it's gone- I don't know how I lost it-"

"Well I'm positive it's around here somewhere," Julie assured. She looked at the scene around her to determine any possible places it could've fallen. The large lake stretched out just inches before their bare feet, and towering trees stood to her left.

Beside her, Lily was looking around frantically, still holding her earlobe tightly as her eyes darted across the grounds. Julie crouched down below her, feeling all around the dewy grass in search of the missing jewel.

"There!" Lily called suddenly, causing Julie's neck to ache as she twisted it up instinctively. She found her friend frozen above the lake's shore, pointing to a glistening object floating on top of the calm rifts.

"Oh good," Julie sighed. "Here, let's just-"

A large splash cut off Julie's suggestion. "_Lil_!" she cried, gaping at her friend. The red-head had taken it upon herself to jump into the liquidy abyss and fetch the lost earring.

Hair darker than her natural auburn falling in drenched clumps around her shoulders, Lily rose above the water, sputtering slightly, but _grinning_ all the same. "I got it," she announced triumphantly, holding the sparkling earring high above her head. "Mum would've killed me if I didn't."

"You're mad," Julie shook her head in astonishment, reaching a hand out in front of her to help her hop out of the lake. "A simple summoning charm would've done the trick."

With Julie's aide, Lily heaved herself out of the water, and plopped onto the ground. "Oh well," she shrugged, clasping the earring quickly back onto her ear. "All that matters is that I got it back, right?"

"I guess," Julie said, rolling her eyes as Lily wrung her soaked locks to form a puddle around her feet. "But I still say you're mad."

---

"Can you believe we're actually doing this?" a rather excited third year whispered to his friend.

His comrade suppressed a squeal of delight as he dumped a pile of last week's potion remains into a make-shift trash bin. "I know! Standing in for the Marauders... Wait till we tell Chris and Gaby!"

"I'll bet they'll be simply green with envy."

"Yeah," the first boy nodded, unable to hold back an ecstatic chortle. "I can't wait to..." he trailed off and did a double take upon realizing what direction the comment had come from, now fully comprehending that his friend was crouched several feet before him in the opposite direction, not to mention his voice didn't carry as cool and sneering. He turned to witness his friend wearing an expression of horror that matched exactly what he felt. They looked up slowly and viewed exactly what they had dreaded to see.

"Well," Professor Fluent clasped his hands in mocking delight. "Now you'll have _so_ much more to tell Chris and Gaby."

---

James couldn't help parading alongside his best friend as they made their way down the dimming hallway. The triumphant grin he donned seemed quite irremovable, but how could he _not_ be happy after that incredible practice? The delectably sweet words still rang clearly in his ears- after practice Redop had said that anyone with ideas like that would make one heck of a Quidditch Captain. The more he thought about it, the more obvious it seemed. Of _course_ he'd become the next captain; no one else could fit the criteria as well as he. Unfortunately, Redop was still just a sixth year. He supposed he could wait another year until taking charge; he just pityed the team that would be without his remarkable assistance.

"Hope you don't mind, but I borrowed your purple polka-dotted kneehighs for the summer."

James turned to stare at his friend. "What?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I've been trying to get your attention for ten minutes now. What exactly _is_ going on in that puny brain of yours?"

"Ah, just thinking about the future," James said, stroking his broomstick fondly as he tightened his grip around it. "The wonderful, inevitable future."

"Right," Sirius shook his head. "You're odd, you know that?"

James nodded. "Yup."

"Well I mean," Sirius began, gesturing his hands towards James's broomstick. "You-" he felt someone tap his shoulder and brushed his hand off carelessly. "You are-" the hand tapped again and Sirius grew further agitated, knocking it off his shoulder. "As I was saying- argh!" he whipped around in frustration, angry at the persistantly tapping hand. "What's your..." Sirius trailed off and smiled weakly as his frighteningly delighted professor came into view. "Er, hello. Wonderful evening for a stroll, no?"

"Ah, my sentiments exactly," their professor replied, his lips twisting into an unnerving smile. "And what, pray tell, are you doing out here, when you are presumably serving detention in my class-room?"

Sirius's eyes shifted to meet James's, who only shrugged in response. Finding no other option, Sirius lifted his gaze to level with the professor's and widened his eyes to their fullest extent. "But sir, we _are_ in the class-room."

Professor Fluent looked mildly disconcerted for a moment, but swiftly switched back to his cool and knowing demeanor. "You can't pull that with me, Mister Black."

Sirius frowned. "Drats."

"So you've wrangled two younger students into forging your presence and doing the dirty work for you, skipping detention to," he eyed their broomsticks, "attend Quidditch practice?"

James and Sirius nodded, and stood still to await their increased punishments; this would surely cause missed Quidditch practices, and they could only hope it didn't conflict with the humongous game on Friday.

Much to their surprise, Professor Fluent didn't shoot out a rash punishment, or even appear angry for that matter. And what was that... did they detect a hint of _understanding_? "That's fine," the professor accepted with a slight smile. "And for your recent actions, I grant you permission to skip all of tomorrow."

Sirius turned to James, an astonished grin in place. As the professor nodded and turned to retreat down the hallway, Sirius announced happily, "Ah, see James! We've finally gotten to that ol' bugger. Our powers of persuasion are endless, no?"

* * *

A/N: Badaba. Nothing much more to say, so I shall now thank my incredibly lovely reviewers.

Dreamlessnights- Hola! It's quite all right you reviewed a little late, ugh, grounded, that sucks. Rob a bank or something? Hmm... well anyway, thanks for the review!

Aerandir- Whoa.. it's weird writing a response to you. You've been gone _so_ long! I'm happy you're back, and even happier you enjoyed that chapter so much : ) Thanks for the review!

Jounin-Elite- I'm not sure when you come in- I have a lot to cram into the end of fourth year, so it may be a while : / Thanks for the review!

EW4eva- Ooh.. the duck and grape joke. Well, I'll e-mail it to you, cause it'll take up too much space, hehe. Thanks mucho for the review!

Lanette- That's all right you haven't reviewed, I know how yucky internets can be. Yech, technology. Thanks for the review!

Mysterious- Ooh, sneaky, hehe. Hmm guess I didn't really update regularly, did I? ::sigh:: What can I say? Nothing. But the dots can. Nice dots, they are. Thanks for the review!

Stormcloud-23- I'm glad you love it, that makes me really happy : ) Thanks for the awesome review!

Shadowfax3614- Wow, thanks for the incredible review! I'm sorry I didn't update very quickly, and sorry in advance if you looked at the LJ... hehe no one really looks there from fanfiction so I don't put that many entries up concerning it. Nope, mostly just my boring, odd life : ) I put one up right now, though, in case you'd like to check it out ::hint hint:: Thanks again for the review!

Merlyn Britainnicus- I'm glad you liked it so much, thanks for that really nice review : ) Thanks for the advice as well, it's much appreciated. Fourth year, I dunno, I think I ran out of creative juices so it is admittedly going by quite fast. I'll try to slow down, especially for the 'good' years, hehe. Thanks again!

RavenSiriusBlack- Hello! I'm happy you enjoyed it, thanks mucho for the review!

WOW-girl- Hehe, your name amuses me. Thanks for the motivational review!

Pipp- Thanks a million for all the advice, you know I love it! Well... about Lily and James acting civil towards one another though, JKR _did_ say she doesn't give him a chance until seventh year. I know, I know, I'd like to speed it up a bit too. But alas, her words are etched into stone... so to speak. Kay, I'm not making any sense so I'll just thank you very much for the review, and be leaving now : )

Luna Gypsy- Ah, broken computer, that sucks. Thanks for reviewing though, as always, it's greatly appreciated!

RubyMaster- Thanks loads for the excellent review! You reviewed chapter one though, did you get any further? I hope you liked it if you did : ) Thanks again!

SuperHiperChit- What Lily's hiding? I know not what you mean. : p Thanks for the review, it makes me really happy I'm on the top two!

dance-flirt- Shocked? So was I. She's a crazy girl, she is. Thanks loads for the review, sorry your response isn't that long but I'm hurrying to post : p

bLaCK'sbiGgEstFAN- Hehe, hope you didn't get hurt when bouncing off the walls. Thanks for the incredibly wonderful review, much appreciated!

Soleil Luna- Wow, you know you're the second reviewer for that chapter (right in a row, too) to be bouncing off the walls? Madness, I tell you. Glad you liked the booklist, although most were recommended from random people, so kudos to them : ) Yes, too much fluff can get irritating, but alas, there may be some in this crazy fic. But just some. Not too much, I promise.

Genickuoa- Yupyup, sorry, I know Snape didn't deserve that, but as Lily points out (under JKR's fabulous writing, of course) they are pompous little boys with no cares and act mean and rashly. As much as I hate to say it, they were bullies. Yes, bullies indeed. But they'll change. Hopefully.

Siriusismine- Ah, muy sorry about that less than wonderful signature. But really, I think it secretly means 'I love you. Come to me and share my pineapple."

Clair Fire- Oh yes, Julie will be in love with somebody. Who, you ask? Fine, I'll tell you but you've got to promise you can't tell anyone else. I don't trust that suspicious look on your face, but I'll tell you anyway... Professor Dumbledore. Minnie will be heartbroken, I assure you, but alas, when true love prevails, it well.. prevails. Thanks for the review!

Sblomie- Ah, a true Sherlock. Come up with anything? Is there anything _to_ come up with? Oh, life's little questions. You've just gotta love 'em.

Blood Emerald- Hehe, sorry about the case of the disappearing review button. I really hate when that happens. I'm glad you liked chapter 37 so much, thanks for the awesome review!

Ieyre- Lol, an avid reader, I see. Glad you like the list and the chapter, thanks mucho for the review!

Sarah Warder- Ah, Sarah's okay, it's still Molly at heart. Glad you liked the Hullaballoo : ) Hehe, brill! You said brill! Yay. Thanks for the review, I'm happy you feel that way about... certain things, thanks mucho!

Curiousknowitall- For some unexplainable reason, you're bugging me too.

Misakichi1- Hmm... Our Lilykins. Quite a curious girl, I must agree. Sorry I didn't post the chapter quickly, but I'll try harder next time!

FreckledIrishMaiden- Hehe, not sure where I come up with it. Scares me sometimes, actually. Hmm... Insane Lily? Frustrated Dumbledore? What on earth is going on, you say, well I say, oh oh it's magic, you know.... Kay that didn't make sense, but that's all right! Or is it...

FAIRYPRINCESS13- You thought right, I am insane : ) No new username, sad to say. Oh that reminds me, I should probably take that off my bio...

Oliverwoodschic- I don't know what you're talking about... but that could quite possibly be due to the lack of seer I have in me. Maybe ask Trelawney, she's a reliable source. Ah yes, poor Remus, hehe. And to your last question, quite soon m'dear, quite soon.

BlueSeal- Yay! First off, _excellent_ penname! Ah yes, the many mysteries of Hogwarts... I wish I could be there, to help solve the mysteries. Heck, I'd serve as janitor or worse just to roam those magically fantastic halls. Hmm... well anyway, thanks for the review!

ImperishableStars- Yupyup, patience is a virtue. (er.. I think that's how the saying goes) Oh yes, I'm glad you liked the book list, hope you enjoy them! (Let me know if you read any). Thanks for the review!

Pete- Thanks for the suggestion, and your time (3 hours, phew) the review was much appreciated!

espergirl04- Hmm... dreeeam, dream dream dream, dreeeam, thanks, now I have that song stuck in my head. Hmm so you think it's the dream, do you? What dream? There was a dream? Curious, very curious. Thanks for the review!

Sallymander- Yay, glad you liked it so much! Hmm, Lily, she's quite the character, isn't she? Aw, you make me feel so good, thanks for the incredibly awesome review!

Californiagurl- Hehe, glad you like her friends : ) Your review made me utterly giddy, thanks so much for the positive and inspirational words!

Sapphire039- Hm, I suppose they could've turned him into a tree. Or something of the sort, at least. Not really sure how that crazy magic works : ) Ah yes, Ella Enchanted is a movie... although the previews don't look anything like what the book was about. That list was just a bunch of books people liked, it wasn't necessarily the 'not a major motion picture or 250 page' criteria, just books they've enjoyed. Well anyway, thanks, as always, for the wonderful review!

Romulan Empress- Ah, but the question is, _will_ they survive. Ooh trouble bubble, I like it! You have a very creative friend. ...And odd. But that's okay, odd is good. Thanks for the review!

SeCrEt LiLy- Hehe, your review made me laugh : ) What did Dumbledore want with Lily? Ah well that remains a mystery, now doesn't it. Yellow people, green people, the best will _always_ be purple. Too bad they have to live in constant fear.

StrawberryLove-sama- Of course, fluff later. It is inevitable, after all ; ) I'm glad you liked the book list and chapter, thanks mucho for the review!

Ninde Annare- Ah yes, poor James and Sirius : ( Professor Fluent, that's the worst. Thanks so much for the wonderful review!

Gaby-Black-Wow, great connection we've got going on there, hehe. My immense gratitude towards your lovely review, thanks as always! Psst... Did you notice I added your name in? You're truly inspirational : )

The author says please review.

****


	40. Unknowingly Unconscious

Standing There By You

Ch. 40- Unknowingly Unconscious

Disclaimer: No own, says Val. Also don't own a couple of Dulcis's lines she bestowed upon me. Thanks!

You guys are amazing... Record response! I luv ya all, you don't know how much this fuels me to get through the rest of the day. I can't thank you enough, and my ecstasy has reached an ultimate high upon realizing I'm peaked 1,000 : )

-Psst... Congrats Romulan Empress for being the big 1000!

-Also, I'm trying to condense the review responses, so a big thank you to everyone... I still responded to all of the reviewers, I just shortened them down to one-liners. Ish. Except for the first two, of which I found reason to write incredibly long paragraphs for.

Curiousknowitall- You know, I really don't feel like battling with someone via a site that I so very much enjoy, so review if you want to, don't review if you do not. If you convince your friends not to review, then so be it, but let me just ask, what would you have done in my situation? You threatened me and said without reason that I was bugging you all in one review, both of which I found highly offensive, so what was I supposed to respond back? I'd type more but I don't want to take up too much space, so if you'd like to e-mail me you can- I'm elenya2 at aol, and it's my s/n as well.

RavenSiriusBlack- A lot of people on the site consider several things when clicking onto a story- the title and summary being two of the most prominent ones. I'd love to help you recruit reviewers, but I really think if you increase the quality of those two aforementioned things, then you'd get reviewers on your own. You're a very flamboyant person, and I respect that without a doubt, so don't change your style, but just consider changing the way you... produce it. It's a relief to see 'professionally done' (for lack of a better term) stories, so just give it that extra flair and you'll be on your way.

Misakichi1- It's so great you understand, and still add inspirational words in : ) Your reviews are always some of the greatest!

ImperishableStars- Lol, interesting review. Whoda whada yesda. You captured the essence perfectly.

MissBlueAngel- I'm happy you're happy : )

RomulanEmpress- Woo!! The very incredible reviewer that randomly landed as number one-thousand! I'm glad it was you, you're an awesome reader : )

Emps- Yes, Grace's family is very loveable : )

Gaby-Black- Yay, glad you liked your name ; ) I'm happy you're so happy I updated, talk to you soon!

Padfootz- Hehe, robe-sleeve. Sirius is _always_ full of himself, just more so sometimes than others. : )

Limbo-gal- Keep it up, I shall : ) Glad you like it!

Sblomie- Ooh, glad I could make you giggle : ) Ah, hope your beanbag chair's comfortable, hehe. Yay, I get to be Watson! He's awesome.

Khamisn- Wow, glad you like it so much : ) Ah, the suspense of Fluent...

Californiagurl- Aw, that's sad, I'm sorry you and your friends are being separated. It really sucks, doesn't it? Well I'm glad I could make you laugh, and take a break from that evil thing called school : p

Celebrean- Sorry to hear about your friend : ( Well, I hope the pasted coin helps entertain you, hehe. Ah, Dumbledore's not evil, don't worry. Thanks for taking the time to read my 'whole' story!

Ieyre- Who knows? I sure don't. He's a crazy guy, he is.

SuperHiperChit- Yes, plot's good. Maybe she _was_ fighting with him, you just didn't see it. : )

Espergirl04- Hmm... I can't think of the name of that song, but it's pretty popular. It's old, too. I think it's on a commercial? Oh well, sorry I confused you last response : (

WoW-Girl- Ah, but I am quite an unpredictable girl, am I not?

Molly- Hehe, glad you liked the greyness. Hmm... As for the rest of your review, I'm keeping my mouth shut.

BlueSeal- Ah, mating geese. We should start a club!

RubyMstar- Glad you like it : )

Dulcis Caelum- _Phleg_m. The hamster will come soon, promise. Hopefully. No I swear, it will. I think.

Kita- Yep, chinchillas rock. They'll be mentioned more in a few chapters : )

Dreamlessnights- Whoops, sorry you broke something. Tried to update soon : )

Sapphire039- ::Sigh:: Rather unfortunately, Julie's last name is Taylor (nothing against that last name!) not that it's bad at all, it's just boring : ( But oh well, I was young and excited to post my first chapter, what can I say. Oh and thanks for the sympathy, too, I appreciate it.

Lanette- Glad you enjoyed it : ) And no, I can assure you, Fluent is not high.

Secret Lily- Ah yes, Sirius is quite a good character to work with. Laughter _is_ awesome, isn't it?

Kawaii-cherryblossom-saku- Wow, glad you like it so much : ) Yeah, Sirius and Remus were disappointing.. but oh well. Yep, I'm going word-for-word by JKR, but in fifth year I'm going to do the part JKR wrote from a different perspective. Don't worry, she'll say the squid line just for you!

Sallymander- One of the best fics? Aw, you're much too kind : ) Hehe, and yes, we do have to love James and Sirius.

Ninde Annare- Thanks for all the wonderful words of encouragement!

L.M. Robertson- Hmm.. suspicious reviewers constructing thoughts of their own? Alas! The idea is simply barbaric!

DobbyGirl- Wow, I'm glad I could make you review so very enthusiastically : )

Rach- Hmm.. Well I could toy with you, but I won't. Nope, no Sirius and Grace. They get along, but not like _that_. I updated quickly (or at least tried to), thanks for the motivation!

Windowseat Wonderer- Hehe, glad you thought it was 'Marauderish'. Honestly, I don't know if I could ever be a Marauder... it's so hard to come up with different pranks all the time! And I'm just writing... imagine if I actually had to _perform_ them. And Lily... Random... or was it?

Purplereader- Of _course_ I'll be your friend! Ooh yay, tied for favorite author? I'll take it! Congrats on making call-backs, that's awesome!

Manny2003- : p

StrawberryLove-sama- Hmm... fluff... maybe this summer? That should only be one or two chapters away, so you won't have to wait too long.

Oliverwoodschic- Yes, he's very cool. Just like you, for reviewing! Hehe.. I'm lame, I know.

Suji- Woo! I'm so happy you're back : ) Oh you're so lucky, I wish I could travel too. Lol, don't worry, your review wasn't harsh! It gave good advice, and I can always use some of that!

Blonk- Yay, it's always nice to see new reviewers : ) I'm glad you think it's 'wicked' (hehe, awesome word)... hmm... the crazy mind-set of Fluent...

FreckledIrishMaiden- Ugh, I know whatcha mean. School is incredibly draining. Good luck on getting your temps, I've got mine now but I've yet to take the classes...

Shadowfax3614- Ooh, I'm very surprised too. Ah yes, and very sorry about the lj not containing any recent info on this story... hehe, whoops.

Mistyrious- Ah, sadly enough, I didn't get you meant forty chapters until you actually wrote it out for me : )

EvilExpressions- Funny? Moi? Ah, you're much too kind m'dear (or m'boy, I'm not sexist.) Glad I could make you laugh!

Dracapotter12- Kind words are always appreciated, and miraculously, they help me to write much, much faster ; )

Since I'm 'condensing' just imagine a huge thanks a million at the end of each response : )

Please excuse this philosophical moment. Christine: Good luck with your angry Physics teacher, and always remember, shoot for the Mohawk, even if you miss, you'll still land among the bow ties.

* * *

James let out a deep sigh as he rolled over onto his back and gazed up at the ceiling. "A day of freedom," he said happily. "We can probably get more, you know, with the reign we hold over Fluent."

To his left Sirius repeated his slow-paced actions, stretching out his arms and tucking his hands behind his head. "Oh, definitely. He's frightened of us, you can tell."

"Mmm-hmm," James agreed, grinning now at the ceiling. "Letting us skip all day, though, I never thought those words would come out of his mouth."

Remus glanced over at his lazy friends, from the spot where he was neatly fixing his tie. "We've still got classes, you know," he reminded them, before shaking his head and side-stepping into the bathroom.

Sirius groaned. "Yeah, we know." He shifted from his comfortable position and swung his legs over the bed, hopping off the soft mattress and onto the hard wooden floor.

Trouble was, he didn't stop hopping.

"What are you doing?" James made a face, tossing a pillow at his presently prancing friend. "You look like an idiot."

Sirius stopped, a confused look settled on his face as he stared down at his feet. "I'm not doing anything," he claimed.

"Right," James rolled his eyes, stepping off his bed as well. He began towards the bathroom. "I think you're a little- hey..."

His legs seemed to have taken a life of their own; with each stride his thigh bounded forward and the other forced back. He paused, terrified, and dropped a befuddled gaze to his feet.

"What on earth are you _doing_?" Remus questioned, looking over them with a bemused expression from his spot between the doorframe.

"I don't know," James and Sirius answered simultaneously. They turned to stare at one another, in attempts of discerning this odd occurrence. James slowly shrugged a shoulder, before lifting a leg to try and resume his regular pace.

This, however, only led to another bout of frolics, and Remus erupting into louder laughter. "Sorry," he chortled, "I've just never seen you skip before."

"We _don't_ skip," Sirius bit back testily, barreling at his legs with a sudden fit of frustration.

James shook his head, glaring down at his recently animated kneecaps. "Yeah, real men don't skip," he agreed haughtily.

A loud yawn sounded from a curtain-concealed bed, signaling Peter had finally awoken. "Real men don't skip?" he mumbled sleepily, poking a torpid head between the bed hangings. "But I thought you said you were skipping detention today?"

"That's a different kind of skip, Peter," Sirius snapped his reply. "Professor Fluent said we could skip class and right now we're referring to it as our recent display of effeminate actions as we frolic around the room!" He said the last part loudly and with obvious irritation, causing Peter to tremble slightly at the rebuke.

"Eh, calm down, Sirius," James said, reaching out a hand to lean against the bed. "I'm sure it's just some side-effects of one of our Animagus experiments, or something. Let's go to Pomfrey, she'll be able to clear it up before classes."

Sirius grudgingly agreed, and Remus had to hold back a cascade of laughter that threatened to be released as the two boys leaped out the doorway.

---

"You're nutters," Grace said dryly, shaking her head at Lily in-between bites of her apple.

Lily smirked and nodded curtly. "That kind of attitude is the exact reason I didn't tell you."

Julie grimaced slightly and looked between her two friends. "Sorry Lily, but I'm going to have to agree with Grace on this one. I didn't even know they _had_ P.O.W.L.'s."

Lily shrugged. "Well when the real test _does_ come around, I'll bet you'll both be wishing you took the Pre Ordinary Wizarding Levels as well."

Grace raised up her apple. "I'll take your word for it."

Lily was about to respond, when a peculiar sight caused her to lose track of what she was saying. Julie and Grace turned around to see what she was staring at, and had to conceal their mouths quickly to prevent a bout of loud laughter from tumbling out.

---

"Lucky most people aren't up yet," Sirius whispered, as he and James gallivanted across the corridor and towards the hospital wing. "Can you imagine what it'd do to our reputation?"

James gave an involuntary shudder. "I don't even want to _think_ about it."

The two boys sprung along the corridor, but as soon as they came within a close proximity to the destination, their professor stood before them and blocked their way.

"Ah," he sighed, smiling broadly at the two. I _do_ hope your enjoying yourselves."

"Er, yeah," Sirius said shortly, peering around Professor Fluent to view the hospital wing. "Do you know if Madame Pomfrey's in?"

"Well yes, but," he flashed them a mirthful sneer. "I don't know what you'd want her for."

James spoke up quickly. "Just wanted to ask her a question." He didn't want their professor to become suspicious- they had come too far with the Animagus experiments to allow him to catch them in the illegal act.

The professor watched as the two boys made to walk ever so slowly, so that their pace came out as just a casual prance. "I wouldn't bother if I were you," he spoke loudly to their retreating backs. "Nothing can deter those skipping spells."

James and Sirius froze mid-spring. "Skipping spells?" Sirius repeated, glancing wearily back to their professor.

"Well yes," Professor Fluent tilted his head to each boy in turn. "You two seemed quite happy about it when I informed you last night."

James squinted in suspicious confusion. "All you told us last night was that we could..." His eyes widened as he recalled his professor's words. "But... but no, you meant miss detention, you know, ditch, not show..."

"All I said," the professor's silky words taunted, "was that I granted you permission to skip all day. I never once mentioned not attending detention."

A horror-struck look passed Sirius's face as he realized what his professor had concocted. "No," he said hurriedly, "no, we don't want your permission. We're fine walking, thanks-"

"Oh but you see, I do not care if you'd like it or not," the professor interjected. "Now I suggest you hurry- ah, skip- along, and consume a very large breakfast. Skipping takes a lot out of you, I've heard."

Sirius's eyes darkened and he scowled loudly, stomping his foot onto the ground. This, however, turned into a twisted form of a half-skip, sending him bounding to the right and tumbling to the ground. Through gritted teeth, he hissed, "I _hate_ Fluent."

---

"Is anyone looking?"

"Stop laughing!"

"I think the coast is clear..."

"I said, stop laughing!"

"All right, go, now!"

Sirius hit Remus on his way inside the Transfiguration classroom. "If you don't stop laughing I'll make you skip for a _week_," he threatened, before cautiously following James into the classroom.

Professor McGonagall was facing the board, but when she heard them scrambling towards their desk, she turned around with a highly arched brow. "Should I be prepared for one of your schemes, boys?"

"We wish," Sirius grumbled, resting in his chair after he and James had skipped their speediest to the far end of the room, where their seats were located. Luckily they had arrived in the classroom before anyone else could- actually, they discovered it to be quite the quick alternative to walking.

Professor McGonagall kept a suspicious eye on the two boys as the class filed in, but when nothing exploded or shot out of the desk for the first five minutes, she turned away and concentrated once more on teaching the class.

"Er... Excuse me, professor?"

The austere teacher paused mid-lecture and glanced around the room, to find Grace beckoning her with a raised hand. "Yes, Miss Shadron?"

Grace peered down at her large text, before raising her gaze back up at the teacher. "Well, the ink on my book's a bit blotchy and I can't read it all that well..."

The professor nodded curtly. "There's a few extra reference books by that back wall- Potter, bring her that one on the edge of your desk."

Grace and the two girls beside her smirked as James's face paled. "She's lying!" he exclaimed. "Look, her book's perfectly fine!"

"No it's not," Grace retorted matter-of-factly.

"Did you tell her?" James hissed at Remus.

Remus waved his hands, trying his best to conceal a quickly spreading smile. "No, no, I swear I didn't."

"Mister Potter!" Mcgonagall called sharply, "If you could please bring Miss Shadron a book within this century, we could get on with the lesson."

James opened his mouth and closed it, glancing side-ways at Sirius for some sort of an excuse. His friend only shrugged and shot him a pitiful look in return.

James shifted in his seat, to gesture properly at his teacher. "Well you see, professor," he began slowly, "My leg, it's really been bugging me lately, you know, Quidditch and all, and it's really not such a good idea-"

"Mister Potter," the professor screeched, "if you do not get up and retrieve her book this instant, I'll make sure you have detention for three months at least, and that means _no quidditch_, or anything of-"

"All right, all right," James replied hastily, holding his hands up in surrender. With one more grimace at his friends, he heaved himself out of his chair and reached across the desk to grab the book. His eyes determined and focused on his destination, he braced himself and straightened his shoulders.

And so he skipped. And he skipped, with pride.

* * *

Julie giggled as pumpkin juice sloshed down the side of her cup. "Cheers!" she and her friends chorused jubilantly.

Grace sighed with contempt, glancing down to her plate of half-eaten crumpets and cakes. "Today was a wonderful day, wasn't it?"

"Sure was," Lily agreed with a smile. "Although, I was a bit disappointed when the class stopped laughing at Potter and Black, and joined in with them instead."

"Yeah," Julie agreed, glancing behind her as a pair of first years pranced down the Hall. "Who knew they could even make _skipping_ a fad?"

Grace rolled her eyes. "Anything's possible with the," She made an exaggerated gasping noise, "_Marauders_."

"Hey," Lily smiled slyly, "you seem to be quite fond of one of those," she mocked Grace's previous gasp, "_Marauders_."

"Speaking of which..." Julie motioned with her eyes and a smirk above Grace.

"Hi," Remus smiled down at them.

"Hello," Grace replied, scooting over to make room for him. She patted the bench. "Pop a squat."

Remus ignored the confusing term and sat down next to her. "Hey, mind letting James and Sirius know I didn't tell you about the skipping spells?" He rubbed his shoulder, frowning. "They haven't stopped pummeling me since this morning."

Grace squinted an eye. "But you _did_ tell me."

Remus's lips tweaked as he shrugged a shoulder. "Does it matter?"

"No," Grace laughed. She smiled sympathetically and lifted a hand to pat his shoulder. "Oh, it must've been _torture_."

Remus frowned. In all truth he had put up a mini-shield charm and had been protected from their sporadic wallops for the past several hours.

"Oh yes..." Remus hung his head pitifully. "Horrible pain, really."

Lily rolled her eyes and motioned to Julie. "Wanna go upstairs? These loons are making me nauseous."

Julie laughed at this statement, and then at Grace's expression. "All right," she said, gathering her bag. "Let's go, before you receive some pummels from Grace as well."

---

It was a rare thing to be by one's self in Hogwart's, and Julie treasured this moment as she clambored around the empty dormitory; currently she hovered above her trunk, after walking from one side of the room to the other, casually mulling her options as to what she should do with this spare hour on her own.

She decided with a heavy sigh and soft plop onto her covers, that she was bored out of her mind. Just as she figured she'd be better off finding Grace or telling Lily to hurry out of the shower, a series of light tapping noises caught her attention.

The light clicks rose in volume once more, disrupting the warm tranquility and peacefulness of the room and causing her to shudder slightly. Collecting herself, Julie walked up to the mysterious noise, and was met with a pair of eyes shining like two glowing orbs through the window, the murky atmosphere of the storm concealing the rest of the entity. Cautiously, she crept closer, and let out a sigh of relief as she found herself nose to nose with a carrier owl. She hurried to let it in- the poor thing was drenched, looking thoroughly spooked and storm tossed.

The gray owl darted into the room, flying in circles above the beds to dry its feathers. Julie watched with amusement for several minutes, until finally it ended its flight and landed on Lily's pillow. Julie peered curiously at the letter the owl was clutching tight it its beak, wondering who her friend could be receiving mail from. With an excited start, she realized it must be her P.O.W.L. results, and reached out to examine the letter.

The owl hopped back a few steps; an obvious act that meant he knew Julie wasn't the proper recipient. "Oh, it's okay," Julie cooed. "Lily's told Grace and I both that we could open this as soon as it arrived, she won't mind."

The carrier owl stared back, its eyes wide and suspicious. Slowly, she reached out a hand to open the letter, but retreated it quickly when it gave her knuckles two swift and painful pecks.

"Ow," Julie cried, waving her hands to ease the stinging pain. Groaning, she looked back at the owl. It was plain she was fighting a losing battle. "Fine," she resigned, standing up and walking across the dormitory. She cupped her mouth and yelled into the bathroom, "Lily, your P.O.W.L. results are here! Do you mind if I open them?"

An excited squeal sounded underneath the loud patter of the shower. "Go ahead!" She shouted back happily.

Julie turned back to the owl. "See?" The animal gave an indignant hoot, dropping the letter on the bed and flying up onto a high bedpost; either he wanted to make sure the appropriate owner received the letter, or he was delaying his trip back into the thunderous storm.

Julie shook her head at the owl, before turning back to the letter. She hoped all of Lily's hard work had paid off- for her friend's benefit, and her own as well. If Lily had performed any less than above average, she and Grace would hear about it _all_ summer.

Julie tore open the envelope, and slipped out a three-fold letter. She started to read it, but after only scanning the first line, found it wasn't Lily's test results at all. Not wanting to dive into anything private, Julie began to fold it back up, but froze when a startling string of words she couldn't escape caught her eye.

---

"What's going on?"

Julie jolted with surprise for the second time that night. Lifting large round eyes, she glanced up and was met with Grace's smiling and curious figure. It only took a second for Grace to figure out something was terribly wrong.

"What is it?" Grace asked, bending over to read the letter clasped loosely in Julie's trembling hands. She began to read.

"Oh wonderful, it's from dear old Petunia," Grace observed. Her light expression darkened, however, as she read on. "...Nothing you can do will bring them back... What?" Grace looked up at Julie. "What's that supposed to mean?" Julie nodded her head, motioning shakily for her to read the rest of the letter.

The sound of the shower shutting off and Lily scrambling around on the slick tile was heard from behind the thin bathroom door, and in an instant she appeared, hurrying out with a towel wrapped around her hair and tying on a yellow bathrobe.

Her excited smile faded, however, as she noticed the strange look on her friends' faces. "What's wrong?" Lily asked, a worried frown etching her features. "Are my grades really that horrid?"

Julie blinked, looking between Lily and the letter. It was then Lily viewed the stiff and long, recognizable cursive that lay across the crisp white paper. "Lily..." Julie began softly, "Your parents... When did- how..."

A frightening calm spread over Lily's face. "Oh good," she said, grabbing the letter from Julie and tossing it haphazardly onto a dresser. "I thought it was something serious."

Grace and Julie turned to look at one another, shocked, and then back at their friend. Each girl's gaze was held mesmerized.

"Dumbledore," Grace breathed, clasping a hand over her mouth. "All of those requests to his office... the way you've been acting..."

Lily raised a brow. "What are you on about?" she asked, laughing lightly and tucking some fallen red locks back under her towel.

Julie frowned uneasily. "Lily, the letter says... Your sister's talking about-"

"Please," Lily interjected, smiling a little wider than normal. "The letter's rubbish. Petunia's crackers, and Dumbledore's just an old fool that doesn't know what he's talking about." Her smile grew to a chillingly toothy grin. "That's it. Everything's fine."

Her friends' stares lingered, as Lily turned around to pull out a drawer, humming softly as she sorted through several articles of clothing.

"Lily," Grace spoke up once more. "I don't think the letter's a fake, I-"

Lily stood up abruptly, spinning to face her friends. "Listen," she said, waving a nightgown at the pair. "With all these people and their wacked out ideas, I don't need you joining in on them too."

Julie shifted warily. "We're not against you or anything, just... I mean, the letter-"

"That damned letter!" Lily shouted, backing up angrily into her dresser but not caring. Her hair brush clattered to the floor, and a bottle of Sleekeasey's tipped over, the clamor only adding to the pandemonium ensuing in the dormitory. Julie staggered back, clapping a hand over her mouth. "What is it with you two? Won't you give it up?" Lily stared back at her friends, who grew restless under her glare. "I know them- I know my parents, they'll come, you all, you just-" she grew flustered and began to wobble slightly, grasping the dresser to steady herself.

"Please Lily," Grace said, her tone a bit desperate. "Don't get angry, just talk to us... Tell us what happened..."

"Nothing happened!" Lily exclaimed, her expression and actions becoming quickly hysterical. "I know them... My mum, right now she's knitting some sweater that's going be too big with uneven sleeves, and dad'll be reading the evening paper, because they've probably just had pork and potatoes and now they're waiting for dessert to cool, we always have whipped-"

"No," Julie said softly, shaking her head and lifting a hand to rest on Lily's shoulder. "They're not... they can't be, Lily they-"

Lily shoved Julie's petite hand off her shoulder easily, her eyes shifting around the room as if in search of some sort of an answer, or proof... any proof. "Fine," she raged, her eyes still searching aimlessly and then finally landing on Petunia's letter. She panted a sigh of relief, holding up the parchment with a sort of twisted glory. "I'll write her!" she proclaimed, "I'll write my mum, and she'll tell you, she'll tell you herself," with one last defiant look she was out of the room, before Julie or Grace could stop her.

---

The birds that had scattered across the Owlery floor flew away and hooted angrily as Lily shoved right through them, intruding on their peaceful slumbers and midnight meals.

She felt around hurriedly for a quill or something to write with, and with a thankful sigh, found an old quill stuffed into the deep pocket of her bathrobe. She turned Petunia's letter to the blank side, and scribbled a quick note addressed to her mother. Grabbing the nearest owl, she banded the hastily folded letter onto it, and tossed it out into the sky.

Lily watched the disgruntled owl fly off, smiling with triumph and leaning against the neighboring wall to await the reply. It would only be a matter of minutes now, and then everyone would _have_ to believe her.

---

"Lily," Grace called, racing into the Owlery. The huge sigh she heaved came out as a sign of relief, finally sighting her friend. From Grace's strained gasps and the view of Julie clutching her side, it was clear they had raced all over the school after her.

Lily didn't remove her eyes from the sky, staring eagerly out into the infinite darkness and decreasing rain. "I've written my mum," she informed them curtly. "You'll see, when her reply comes. You'll see."

Horrible expressions of pity came over her two friends' faces, even strong enough to pull away Lily's intense gaze. "I don't care if you believe me," She said shortly. "I know, and that's all that matters."

A few moments of silence followed this statement. Large exhales and soft hoots from the owls were the only things to puncture the hushed air, until Julie spoke up softly. "A reply's not coming back, Lily," she whispered. "It-"

"It will!" Lily exclaimed, teetering away from her previously calm demeanor. "Why can't you two see that!?"

"Because- because they're not going to- they, they're dead Lily!" Grace finally burst out, stepping up with one large stride and stopping only right before her friend.

Lily remained undeterred. "They're not."

Julie shook her head. "But Dumbledore, he said, Lily," she said, looking at her with an undeniable glance of sympathy.

It was all too much for her. "And how would you know?" Lily shouted, angrier than she'd ever been with her friends. "How can you be so sure of yourselves?"

"We saw him," Grace stated firmly. "On the way here. We saw him coming out of his office, and he told us, he told us Lily, we-"

"I told you he doesn't know what he's talking about!" Lily screamed. An owl flew off beside her, nipping angrily at her ear for disrupting the peace. In a furious motion, she whipped off the bird and further exclaimed, "I know my parents! I _know_ them! They always come back, they've never broken a promise, and she said she'd arrive later! She said it!" Lily stamped her foot irately, sending a cloud of hay and dust into the air.

"They're _not_, Lily!" Grace shouted back, her insistent voice quite near reflecting the volume of the infuriated girl before her. "They're gone, Lily, and you've at least got to acknowledge that!"

Lily shook her head furiously. "No," she yelled back hoarsely. "I won't, because it's not-

She cut off abruptly as a light noise sounded on the ground, an unnoticed owl swept above it and landed to perch on a stone column beside them. Three pairs of eyes fell onto the object; a hastily folded stark white paper layered with hasty scribbles and stiff, long cursive writing.

Face coated with relief, Lily bent down to pick up the fallen letter. Her delighted expression slowly changed into that of anxious fear, however, as she noticed it was the same post she had sent out. She turned the paper over and over again, searching for any hint of a reply. "But- but this," she started, her voice raspy with desperation, "this is the same letter... It was returned... why- how?"

Grace and Julie lowered their eyes to the crouched girl that relentlessly tore through the letter, until she finally looked up to see their glossy stares and frowns etched deep with pity. Lily stared back blankly, not noticing the letter fall out of her grasp and float to the ground, or her knee digging deep into the rough straw and stones. She shook her head, paying little attention as small wells released and streaked across her face. "Well that's all right," she struggled to keep her strong tone, "I'll just talk to her over break. We're supposed to go shopping, you know, and my dad, he-"

Grace raised her eyes to gaze at her friend. "Lily..."

"You know," Lily continued on, either ignoring or not hearing her friend, "you know, I haven't seen my mum since Christmas Eve?" She squinted thoughtfully at the letter. "We had to spend the rest of the holiday at Aunt Claire's," she gazed up at her friends, "she's the one that lives down in Surrey. I was waiting for them to come home, but then they called to tell us their car broke down, that they'd be home in an hour."

Julie sniffed softly and stepped quietly towards her friend, nestling into some of the rough straw beside her. Lily paused in her story, looking around with narrowed eyes of confusion as she struggled to recall the rest of that night's events. She spoke up softly. "I waited," she murmured. "I waited, I swear I did," her eyes wandered from the letter, to Grace, and finally Julie. Wide eyes stayed staring at her sniffling friend. "But they never came home."

The statement was moreover for her own conviction, rather than her friends, as Lily realized with a sharp intake of breath the amount she had concealed from herself for the past several months.

"I'm sorry, Lily," Julie whispered, her tone hushed. Grace nodded silently beside her, her previous defiant stance replaced by a limp and feeble one.

The slam of realization was too astounding; the block she had built up released rapidly in an uneven flow of tears. Sobs soon took over the young girl's body, shaking her frame and face as she cradled her head in violently trembling hands.

The anguished girl vaguely noticed as another figure joined her on the ground, and the one already there scooted closer. "Everything's going to be okay, Lily," Julie's throaty whisper assured.

"But how?" Lily choked, her lament tears still flowing soundly. She lifted a glistening face; her eyes glowed with the salty liquid, prominent against her drained and pallid expression. "I shouldn't have let them go- I shouldn't have complained so much that day... This is my fault, I should've-"

"It's not," Grace told her in a gentle, yet adamant tone. "You couldn't have done _anything_ to prevent it."

Lily nodded slowly, a struggling gasp sounding as memories of her parents and the last time she had seen them flew through her mind, and the relentless sobs continued.

"Just don't worry about anything," Julie said, inching closer and wrapping her in a tight one armed hug.

Grace followed suit, securing the side of Lily's that was left unprotected. She agreed, nodding softly. "We'll make sure everything turns out all right."

-


	41. Stinging Solutions

Standing There By You

Ch. 41- Stinging Solutions

Disclaimer: If I was making any money off this, it'd all go to you, JKR. Down to the last knut, because alas... She is mighty and owns all.

A/N: Hmm.. first off, to answer the question that many reviewers asked, if the books or Rowling ever said anything about Lily's parents dying. I've yet to hear or read anything like that, but Rowling insinuated it when she said that Harry had to live with someone that had his mother's blood running through them, and since he ended up cooped with Petunia, my guess is that they had no other options. So sadly, but truly, I'm pretty sure the Evans had to be gone before or right after Harry was born.

Also, the next chapters will begin to cover the summer (it should be pretty long- or at least, longer than usual) And... dum dum dum... I'm sort of going to try something different. I hope you don't mind the style change, but I'm going to have the two or three chapters covering their holiday be from first POV. I'll make it clear who's POV it is and where they're at, so it won't be confusing at all. It's only for a little while, and I'll switch back as soon as fifth year starts up again. So... be prepared!

I had a particular review this chapter that really ticked me off. It wasn't so much his (or her) flame, it was moreover the fact that they judged my entire forty chapter story on the first chapter (which admittedly, is totally and completely sucky) and it wasn't exactly kind, either. I was going to rant and rant to that person (I still have it saved in microsoft) but then I got three _incredible_ reviews right in a row that I probably didn't deserve in the first place, but nevertheless made me feel absolutely awesome. Then I looked at the other reviews before that, and I really don't know why that one kept my attention, when I should've been appreciating all of the other kind words you so graciously gave me. So... thanks.

Also note- _Ball change_, and _shuffle-hop-step_ are tap dance steps.

* * *

Lily gazed up above at the uneven wood of the ceiling. It was a marvelous thing sometimes, to just be able to stare at a wall and mull over your private thoughts. The past several months though, it had been different; acting as a blockade to one's self is an exhausting thing, and the momentous night last week was not only unearthing, but somehow relieving as well. The pressure that was immediately burdened upon her, was also immediately taken away- her friends didn't hesitate to secure her in the newly weakened state, talking when she needed to be talked to, and keeping silent when the only thing necessary was their assuring presence.

That was the thing she loved most about their friendship; the simple lack of hesitation. Instead of the awkward inquiry that could've taken place, they had replied naturally and assured her, with tones not to be argued with, that she'd stay with one of them for the summer, or however long necessary. It was true Petunia was just old enough to live on her own, but neither of them would ever allow her to stay with that miserable excuse of a sister.

"Up already?" a sleepy voice questioned from behind her, interrupting her thoughts. Lily looked up to see a drowsily smiling Julie.

"It's still early yet," Lily told her. "You can probably sleep for another couple of hours or so."

Julie shrugged. "That's all right." She curled her feet beneath her and reached for a shabby pair of slippers. Stifling a yawn, she continued, "I need to finish Arithmancy, anyway."

Lily nodded, watching as her friend found only one slipper, and bent over further to retrieve the other. "There's a Hogsmeade trip tomorrow," she reminded Julie distractedly.

"Mmm-hmm. Reckon we should go?" Julie asked, as she blindly felt along the floor, inching now to a dangerous teeter as her fingertips scraped beneath her bed.

"Sure," Lily shrugged. "I need to-" But what Lily needed, Julie never found out, as she lost her balance and attempted a rash grasp for something to cling on to. With a yelp, she grabbed helplessly onto her blanket, which of course only resulted in her _and_ several sheets tumbling to the floor.

"Are you all right?" Lily asked hurriedly, climbing off of her own bed and joining her friend on the ground.

"Yeah," Julie mumbled pitifully, her voice muffled due to the numerous blankets draped across her head.

Lily quickly made to tug off the sheets, but even after several minutes of yanking and pulling it only resulted in a small gap in the blankets near Julie's face. The two girls stared at one another, Lily's concerned gaze against Julie's half concealed one. Suddenly, for the first time in days the two girls burst into uncontrollable giggles, Lily clutching her side and Julie's eyes tearing up with laughter. She tried to reach up a hand to cover her mouth, which only raised the hilarity of the situation as she found it to be trapped between a sheet and coverlet.

"Mmph..." An inhuman sound grumbled from across the room.

The girls' laughter ceased abruptly, as Grace flopped over onto her stomach and squinted at them through one glaring eye. "What are you doing?" she demanded groggily.

"Shh..." Julie whispered out of the corner of her lips. "Best to remain still... there's still a chance she won't see us."

Lily barely nodded, keeping still as Julie suggested.

Grace rolled her eyes. "I can still see you."

The girls remained in their statued states.

Grace blinked several times. "I said, I can still _see_ you."

The silence was so strong, if Sirius was here he would've cricketed.

Grace, doubting her sanity and cursing the morning, rolled over and was snoring in an instant.

"See," Julie smiled. "She's always been a bit wacky in the morning."

Lily raised a brow. "Just in the morning?"

---

"James, catch!"

James turned on the toe of his sneaker, and as a reflex upon viewing a crystal vile hurdling towards him, stuck out his hand and retrieved it expertly from the air. "Thanks," he said, after a brief moment in which he set aside to personally congratulate himself. He tipped the stopper off with ease, and turned the vial over to release a thin green liquid into his potion. Setting it aside, he grabbed a slender tube that contained a murky blue substance, and in a tricky position behind his left shoulder and beneath his right elbow, tossed it towards Sirius.

"Thank you," Sirius sang, catching the tube between his thumb and forefinger, and spinning around to dump it into his own cauldron.

Remus started slightly, becoming increasingly apprehensive as the nerve-racking lesson went on; James and Sirius, for some reason unknown to him, found it highly amusing to vault their fragile potions across the room whenever the professor wasn't looking.

"Remus!" He jumped at the call, and his worst fears confirmed, was met with a large and oddly shaped bottle sailing in his direction.

Remus emitted an audible sound of distress as he drew his hands toward him instead of appropriately outstretched, causing the bottle to hurl into his chest and him to fumble around for quite awhile, until miraculously capturing it between a knee and both wrists.

James smirked beside him, as Remus brought the bottle out of the awkward position and set it gingerly on the desk.

"What?" Remus asked defensively. "He caught me off-guard."

"That's the whole point," James informed him cheekily.

"Here's your Codifying Compound," Sirius announced loudly, carrying a tiny vial with much care, and handing it tentatively to James.

James furrowed his brows in confusion, but nodded in understanding when Sirius motioned with his eyes towards the head of the room, and he found Professor Fluent had arrived back from his office. "Thank you," he said, his words clearly audible and polite.

From his desk the teacher raised narrowed eyes towards the two boys, their brazen smiles and waves only heightening his suspicion. With a disapproving grunt he cast his eyes downward and continued marking papers. One scroll teetered on the desk's edge and fell onto the ground; it rolled several feet and stopped at Grace's toes.

"Here ya go," Grace tossed the scroll along with the others that sat on top of Fluent's desk.

The professor nodded his gratitude, not bothering to look up or pause in his writing. Grace rolled her eyes as she walked back over to her desk, pulling a face in her friends' direction.

"This is a wonderful way do relieve stress, did you know?" Lily informed them as she put all of her effort into kneading an unidentified pile of gray mush.

Grace squinted her eyes at the strange sight. Leaning over to Julie, she whispered, "She _does_ know that's-"

"No," Julie cut her off quickly. "But she's happy, and well... what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?"

"Right." Grace scrunched up her face, "I suppose..."

"Well, maybe she'll- ooh!"

Students around them looked up as her sudden shriek echoed across the room. Surrounding her feet was a purple potion gooping across her toes and ankles, and a vial that lay shattered a meter or so away. The parts that came in contact with the rubber sole of her clogs disintegrated the material with a soft hiss, revealing woolen sock covered toes, currently wiggling and scrunched up to avoid the creeping indistinguishable substance.

"Whoops," Sirius grimaced, glancing sideways at James. "I thought you had it."

James arched a brow. "I was behind you, Sirius. You threw it twenty feet ahead."

"...I was close."

"Pomps Tubea is not toxic, Miss Taylor, so stop that incessant shrieking." The professor strode across the room and snapped the text book and parchments she was holding out of her hands. "Twenty points from Gryffindor, and forty more if you do not get this cleaned up in the next fifteen seconds."

Julie's mouth dropped open. "But-"

"Fourteen."

"Sir, I didn't-"

"Thir-"

Julie gave up and quickly scrambled to the ground, soaking up whatever she could of the potion and drenching the parchments she had within reach, in attempts of sopping up the mess. She stood up breathlessly, the task completed save several streaks of purple that lay across the tiles and a few scraps of gooey parchment.

The professor's eyes ran up and down the floor. "Half the points for an abysmal job," he stated, before twisting around and heading back towards his desk.

"Why didn't you tell him it was Sirius's fault?" Lily inquired quietly, staring at the professor's retreating back and then at her exhausted friend.

Julie shrugged a slender shoulder. "I tried," she said hesitantly.

"And Sirius just stood there and let you take the blame," Lily shook her head. "You've got to learn to stand up for yourself, Julie."

"It doesn't matter," Julie assured her quickly. "I don't mind... It was only a bit of a mess."

Lily frowned as she gathered up her materials. "You _should_ mind."

* * *

That night the students occupied the crowded common room, entertaining themselves with the usual games or grudgingly finishing up bits of homework. In a cozy seat away from the bustling room, Lily and her two friends sat with books spread around them, Julie in particular staring intently at an unbearably heavy Arithmancy book, narrowing hazel eyes at the tiny blurred words to get some conception of its contents.

"Finite," Grace announced, setting down her book with triumph and flopping back onto the couch.

Julie looked over at her, frowning. "Did you get Softkey's theory?"

"Mmm-hmm," Grace squinted her eyes in thought, "page four oh' two, I think."

Julie nodded her thanks, and tucking an escaped honey lock behind her ear she determinedly returned to the advanced book.

Lily shifted in her seat to glance over at her friend. This summer was going to be different; she had never visited Julie's house before, and had only seen her father on one occasion or so that she could hardly remember anyway. It'd be strange starting the holidays in someone else's house, and she wondered what'd it be like when they arrived in an unfamiliar town that contrasted the home she was used to. How was it going to be when she couldn't snuggle in her regular bed and her mum-

No. Lily creeped lower in her chair, resolutely blinking her lashes in a determined act to shield any potential tears. Taking a small and unnoticeable breath, she leaned her head back against the chair and attempted to clear her mind.

"You all right?"

Lily started at the soft inquiry, swerving her head quickly to view the caller. "Oh," she said, relaxing. She hadn't noticed Julie kneel onto the floor beside her chair. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Julie stared at her thoughtfully for awhile, before nodded slowly. "Okay," she said, standing up and sitting on the edge of Lily's chair. She smiled slightly. "My dad wants to know if you like banana bread, we always have it my first night back."

Lily smiled back. "Sounds great."

"Oh Gracie, I would do the same for you _any_ day. I know the _number one chaser_ would do this for me, right?"

Lily and Julie turned at the plead, and was met with Sirius staring wide-eyed and innocent with a puppy dog pout, and inching towards Grace's paper.

Grace smacked Sirius's hand and tucked her homework safe inside a schoolbag. "Shove off, Sirius," she said simply.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "Fine. But I'll have you know, you're _not_ the number one chaser. Beaufort's talent makes yours look about as good as my Great Aunt Trinicia's mole."

Remus looked up, and felt the pressure of defending her weigh over him. "Yes well, she's, she's really very-"

Grace smiled pleasantly, impelling Sirius with her elbow. "If you don't shut up I'll take a beater bat and shove it right up your-"

Well, Grace obviously didn't need help defending herself.

"Yes," Remus nodded, sitting back down. "Yes, what she said."

Just as Sirius crossed his arms and made to retort, James stepped in the middle. "Here," he said, grabbing Julie's paper. "Just use this one."

Lily looked up, rage clearly and quickly evolving in her glare.

Perhaps it was the fact that Julie had been so nice and understanding this last week.

Perhaps it was the fact that just the plain sight of James Potter made her want to pull out all of her hair.

Perhaps it was the fact that an idiot was about to let another idiot use her friend's hard work so that he wouldn't look like an idiot. The idiot.

Either way, the frustration and emotions swirling inside her seemed to come rushing out at once, and directed straight at the raven-haired 'idiot' standing right in front of her.

"You cynical..." she growled, taking a large and frightening step towards James.

James looked to his left and right. "Huh?"

Another stride. "You bombastic..."

James's expression changed from perplexed to affronted. "Hey, I didn't even do anything-"

"You didn't _do_ anything?" Lily shot back shrilly. Sirius, Grace, and Remus took a collective stride back. "You didn't _do_ anything?"

James crossed his arms. "No, I didn't. You're just a hot head that doesn't-"

"Well that's exactly the point, you didn't do anything!" she exclaimed, flapping her arms wildly. "You and your little friends think you can just go around not putting forth _any_ effort whatsoever, and use other student's _hard_ and _arduous_ work so that you don't have to lift a precious," she tapped his thumb mockingly, "little," she flicked hard and retreated her hand, "finger."

James didn't hesitate a second. "You prick," he returned, stepping far forward and in accordance forcing her back. "Everything's just got to be _perfect_, doesn't it?"

Grace tensed and started forward, still in a high defensive mode to protect her friend. "Hey-"

Lily glared back intensely at James and inched ahead, insinuating to Grace her help was not necessary. "It's hardly believable how much of a pig you are," she shoved James's chest back, a bit harder than she normally would've as her emotions unleashed through anger. "And if you consider perfect to be doing your _own_ work and earning _own _grades, then fine, what a horrible person I am to have morals-"

"Hey, I've got morals!" James roared his protest indignantly.

Lily verbalized her disbelief with a loud exclamation of laughter. "Right! Morals? _You_?"

"Yeah!" James yelled back, his tone clear she had effectively set him off.

"Oh yeah?" Lily demanded. "Prove it!"

James narrowed his eyes. "Just because I don't walk around acting like a perfect angel, sucking up to everything that breathes and holds the ability to grade, doesn't mean I don't have morals." He stepped closer. "And for your information, always acting like the good girl and prissy know-it-all, never uttering a forbidden word out of that innocent mouth of yours and helping mummy every week with the Sunday dinner, does _not_ mean your morals are any greater than mine."

Lily paused for a moment. Her friends started forward, worried James had hit a sore spot by mentioning her mother, but before they could even move a foot she began speaking again, her voice securely even and unusually cool.

"You like those, eh Potter?" she asked, looking up with an aloof stare.

James blinked. "Like what?"

Lily picked up a couch cushion and tossed it carelessly in her hand. "Well," she began slowly, peering lazily at the pillow. "Sundaes."

"Sundays are all right," Sirius leaned over and whispered to Remus. "But I personally prefer Saturdays, don't you?"

Remus refrained from rolling his eyes and continued to watch Lily's unusual actions. "Sure, Sirius."

"Although, Tuesdays are awfully nice too."

"What are you on about?" James asked, eyeing Lily as she inspected the cushion from several different angles.

"Sundaes," Lily repeated. "Do you like them?"

James watched her suspiciously. "I suppose..."

Lily looked up and smiled. "That's good. Here you go, then." In an instant the plush pillow was transformed into a large bowl filled with mountainous scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, accessorize to its fullest with a rainbow of sprinkles and thick flavored syrups dripping down the edges.

A moment later the delectable dessert was hovering above James's head and showering down in a storm of colorful and quite frozen dairy.

Lily leaned back thoughtfully to inspect her sputtering work, her rage decreasing with each gloppy drip. "It's a nice look for you, Potter," she decided. She pointed to his matted down and sticky hair. "And for once your hair's not all caveman."

Before James could reply, Lily grabbed Julie's paper out of his hand and marched up to the girls' dormitory, muttering a quick scourgifying spell to cleanse the edges.

"I... she's not..." James seethed, "you just wait, I'll-"

"You know, she's right," Sirius remarked, peering at James in a decisive manner. "Your hair is rather caveman-ish, isn't it?"

James scowled. "Sirius, you're supposed to be-"

"No, no," Sirius said hurriedly. "It's a good look for you, really. Caveman is totally in." James glared back, swiping at his forehead as sticky streaks poured down it. "Well go on and take a nice long shower," Sirius said quickly, turning his grumbling friend in the direction of the staircase. "Don't forget, ah," he grimaced, knowing full well what he was about to say wouldn't lighten James's mood, "... detention, tonight. But this is the last one," he clapped his friend on the back, "everything'll go great and we'll be out of there in no time."

-

James had grumbled incoherently for awhile longer, before Sirius finally guided him in the opposite direction and sent him up the staircase, where he would grumble further as he changed and cleaned up for detention. Sure, the skipping spells hadn't turned out so bad in the long run, but they still made sure to arrive to the rest of their detentions on time; after all, one can only go so long with stares and fingers pointing in their direction every place they went.

Not that they minded, of course. They just preferred the gawks to be over their dashing good looks, rather than actions in which people could easily confuse their gender.

A grueling couple hours later, they sat on the edge of Fluent's desk and read the remainder of their duties. "What's next on the list?" James muttered his question, still sour about that night's events.

"Well we've dusted," Sirius read from a tattered parchment, "we've watered his plants, cleaned the windows, made him a fresh pitcher of lemonade, polished his shoes... So I guess the only thing left to do would be..." he squinted at the parchment, before verbalizing out loud, "cleaning out Twinkle's cage?"

James made a face. "_Twinkle_?"

"Yeah," Sirius looked back down at the list. "It says it's stored in the left cabinet and the shavings are on the top shelf."

He looked up and the boys gave a collective half shrug. "Well let's get this over with," James said, turning towards the specified cabinet.

Sirius followed and slowly opened the door. It was dark, but sure enough, inside was a rather large cage with a big furry lump plopped in the middle. "Is that a..."

"Guinea pig," James finished for him, staring at the mammal curiously. "I saw one in the Magical Menagerie. But that one had blue spots and a goatee."

Sirius raised his brows slightly and nodded. "All right, you get the shavings and I'll try to get this bugger outta here."

James nodded, and set off in search of the wood chips. Sirius turned back towards the seemingly normal creature, rolled up his robe sleeves, and opened the cage door. Carefully, he reached toward it and scooped it out, hurriedly plopping it on a nearby desk. A light _tink_ sounded, like two metals clinking together, so he curiously turned around to inspect it.

Sirius watched, mesmerized as the chubby animal stood on its hind legs and performed a complicated tap dance. He had never before seen a guinea pig, but he was quite sure it wasn't normal to do _that_.

"Man, this thing's huge," James groaned, as he heaved a jumbo sized bag of wood shavings onto the floor. He looked up. "Not that I can't handle it. Cause I can, you know. Handle it-"

Sirius turned to him with a grin. "Isn't this thing wicked? I swear I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled out a cane and top hat!"

James discreetly rubbed his sore back. "What are you talking about?"

"That pig thing," Sirius said, "Didn't you see, it just popped up and did a brilliant tap routine!"

"Huh?" James scrunched up his face, glancing at the guinea pig. "Sirius, I think you've gone mad."

"What?" Sirius spun around to view the incredibly talented creature.

The plump brute lay big-belly down on the desk, staring back at Sirius stupidly and chomping on a disregarded quill feather.

"But, but... He was just... the shiny shoes," Sirius muttered, scratching his head at the mystifying transition.

"Sure he did, Sirius," James replied, his tone tired and still laced with irritation. "C'mon, let's get to work."

Glancing once more at the strange creature, he turned back around and followed James to help carry over the wood chips.

Tap Tap

Sirius swerved around and pointed to the presently performing pig. "See, look!"

James rolled his eyes and turned around, only to witness a nearly snoozing, lazy creature. "Sirius, you're nutters."

"What, no!" Sirius exclaimed madly, rushing over to the guinea pig and prodding it with his finger. "Dance, you stupid pig, dance-"

"Sirius," James yanked his friend's arm away from the animal. "C'mon, mate, you're getting delusional."

"But no, I swear-"

"Come _on_," James said, tugging his friend harder. "I'd like to get out of here before dawn, if you don't mind."

Sirius frowned, shooting looks at the strange animal over his shoulder. With a sigh he gave up, and returned to help James dump out the cage's shavings.

Tap Tap

Sirius gritted his teeth. Couldn't James hear that? He looked over to his left to view his friend. No, he was still too busy grumbling.

Tap ta-tap rap-a-rap tap

Sirius tensed his shoulders, forcing himself not to turn around and give the deceiving creature the cynical satisfaction.

Tap ta-tap rap-a-rap tap tap ta-tap rap-a-rap tap _rap rap ra-ta tap ra-_

"Argh!" he relented, whirling around and bulldozing towards the guinea pig. "I'll get you, you stupid-"

"It's too late for you to be doing this," James grumbled, not bothering to turn to his friend as he sprinkled new shavings into the metal cage.

Sirius stood several inches away from the pig, glaring at it and reaching dangerously flexed fingers near its neck. "It's playing with my mind," Sirius whispered madly, his fingers inching closer.

The guinea pig performed a shuffle-hop-step in reply.

"You're doing this on purpose," Sirius seethed.

Ball change ball change, leap, ball change ball change.

"I'm warning you..."

Shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle-

"Gah!" Sirius lunged towards the gifted guinea, hands stretched wide as he rashly reached to throttle it mid-mocking pirouette.

It took him by surprise, needless to say,when he discovered tap-dancing wasn't the guinea's only forte.

James brushed loose flakes of wood roughly into the palm of his hand. "Stupid Evans," he muttered. "Stupid ice cream. Stupid couch cushion."

"Ahhh!"

He rolled his eyes as he folded closed the large plastic bag. Was the screaming really necessary? Sirius was his best mate and all, but he sure could be quite the character.

"Ay, ay, ay, ay," several loud thumps sounded behind him.

James smoothed the wood chips to layer the bottom of the cage evenly, refusing to inconvenience himself as he stayed adamantly facing the other direction. "Caveman hair?" he griped. "Psht."

A rushing sound, and "Whooooahhhhhh!"

"You're really aggravating tonight, you know that?" James declared, hoisting up the large bag of shavings and staggering towards the storage closet.

"Potter!" Sirius bellowed in a desperate voice, his echo shooting 'otter, otter, otter,' throughout the dungeon.

With an exasperated sigh, James made a big motion of turning around to face his friend.

Sirius sat crumpled on a desk, his head wobbling unsteadily and eyes out of focus. To his left the guinea pig sat lazily, appearing as if he had no intentions of ever moving his round rear end, and once more chewing upon the quill feather.

"Kung fu," Sirius babbled. "Tapping... black belt... terrifying hiya..."

James cringed at the unsightly vision of his friend. "Er... we better get going," he said slowly, reaching out to pick up the guinea pig.

"Careful," Sirius panted his warning, "side-kick and tap shoes, not- not a good mix."

"Uh-huh..." James glanced over his friend with concern for his mental well-being as he lifted the fluffy creature and set it inside the cage, clasping the metal door closed and sliding it back onto the shelf. Fastening a hand under Sirius's elbow, James cautiously led his disoriented friend out of the Potion Quarters.

Just before they turned the corner, Sirius snuck one more glance at the creature.

It winked and ball changed its goodbye.

---

"A karate-chopping-tap-dancing guinea pig named Twinkle?" Remus chuckled, from where he stood hunched over a pile of neatly folded undershirts and school socks.

James made a slashing motion with his hand, signaling for Remus to drop it. It had taken him nearly a week to stop Sirius from babbling hysterical nonsense, and he still refused to go anywhere near that left cabinet.

"Uh-huh," Sirius replied gravely, rolling up a robe and pitching it into his open trunk. He pointed to his forehead where hardly visible, tiny blue dots were sprinkled. "Kung fued me, right here."

Peter nodded. "Yes, I can relate, that's just like my snake."

"Really?" Sirius dropped a scrunched up sock and looked up at Peter. "Does it tap dance, too?"

"Nope," Peter shook his head.

"Oh." Sirius's eyes widened. "Does he _karate chop_?"

"Uh," Peter frowned. "No."

Sirius furrowed his brows. "So what's the similarity, Pete?"

"Er..." Peter's eyes flicked around the room in thought. "Oh!" He smiled triumphantly. "They're both mammals."

Sirius sighed. He didn't have the heart to tell him that snakes were not mammals. "Ah, yes. Almost identical situations."

"Yup," Peter replied, returning to the his annual ritual of cramming all his possessions at the bottom of his trunk, only to pile as many cakes and goodies he could across the top.

"Come on, let's get outta here," James said, lifting his trunk and dragging it towards the door. "The sooner holiday starts, the better."

Remus didn't look so confident. "I'm not so sure about that, actually."

"Eh, no worries mate," Sirius clapped Remus on the back. "Her family can't be _that_ bad."

Remus simply stared back, causing Sirius's certain smile to slowly slip into a frown. It was true, any humans that owned such pets as chinchillas _must_ be teetering on barbaric. Peter had told them of the horrors- big teeth, monstrous claws, and venomous spit, to name a few.

Sirius sighed. "Just don't forget your helmet."

* * *

A/N: I know this chapter was kind of.. not necessary (especially Twinkle.. sorry, Dulcis has been _begging_ for her cameo : p and besides, it lightened the mood a tad) but not to worry, summer will (hopefully) make up for it. : ) Muhahaha... I'm excited. Well anyway, thanks for reading!

Lil Lillian 14- Eh, no offence taken. They are quite arrogant, aren't they? Crazy boys. Thanks for the review!

Delphineum- Ah, glad I could amuse you. Thanks for the review : )

IrishMaiden- Hi! So sad, so sad : ( Just around the river bend... I miss you!! Thanks bunches for the review, you know I luv 'em!

Purplereader- That's okay, you had the right to be bummed. Uh-oh... you seem _very _happy that I'm your friend... hehe. CONGRATS ON MAKING THE PLAY! Woot! Great job, and don't worry about messing up the first time, I've done that loads before. Oooh, the Who's are awesome! Hope you have fun with that, thanks for the review(s)!

Carlee- Muy awesome review, m'dear : ) Good idea with the whole 'possessed Lily' thing, who knows, in HP anything could happen. Thanks for taking time to read and review!

Mistyrious- I made you cry?! Sorry dear, I hope you had a box of tissues at hand : ) Ack, no, never stop writing your own! It's soo awesome.. by the way, when are you updating? Thanks for the really great review!

Purplecarrots121- Aw, you're much too kind! I'm really glad you enjoy it so much, and thanks for taking so much time to read my rather lengthy story. Thanks again!

Pixie-Poison- Thanks for that really great review, it really boosted my motivation level loads : )

Windowseat Wonderer- Wow, never thought I could make anyone get anywhere _near_ tears, that's an odd thought. I tried not to make everything all fine and dandy this chapter, tell me if you think how I did with that. It was kinda tough cause I didn't want to make everything so sad, following that chapter, but I know I still had to include some follow up. Thanks for the incredible review : )

Dracapotter12- Hanging onto my every word? Oh, how you flatter me so : ) Thanks for the wonderful review, and good luck with your own story!

iLikeSpaghetti- Hm.. interesting name, hehe. Glad you like it so much, thanks for the wonderful words, I very much appreciate them!

Siriusismine- Well, we're working women now. Wow, those first four words created an alliteration. Thanks for the review(s)!

Remmy14- Yup, sure is time for him to ask her out. Dum dum dum....

Cynthia- Glad you liked the beginning and summary, let me know how you like the rest : )

Lanette- Oh, tons of fun. : ( But thanks for the review, glad I could keep you laughing!

Melissa- Lol, I don't much care for Peter either. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep it in mind, and thanks for the awesome review!

Espergirl04- Ooh.. so you guessed it? Good job! Glad you liked the skipping and all, thanks for the fantastic review!

Clair Fire- Hola! Hm.. I usually range anywhere between 9 and 13 pages in works. I think I answered the part about if JKR said Lily's parents died in the top AN of this chapter... oh, and I keep checking for your story, but it's not up yet : / Maybe if you have a chance you could e-mail me when you update (elenya2 at ) Ah, and the lines are there cause if I didn't have them it'd be terribly confusing, trust me. Thanks for the review!

BlueSeal- Hehe, it was quite the contrast with the skipping and then the end, wasn't it? Well thanks for the review, and see you at tennis! Remember, love means nothing to a tennis player.

FreckledIrishMaiden- Yes, yes, is very sad indeed. Lol, I know, guys _so_ skip. Thanks for the wonderful review!

Emps- Yup, they're in fourth year. Thanks for the review : )

ImperishableStars- Sorry I made you feel sad, but I'm glad you liked the way I did it... if that makes sense. Thanks for saying it was believable and all, that really makes me feel good : ) Thanks for the review!

SuperHiperChit- Wow, thanks for such an awesome review! Glad I could keep up the suspense and throw something at you without you guessing what it was first ; ) Thanks bunches!

Sapphire039- Hm.. Well it's not necessarily her fault, but when a loved one dies suddenly a bunch of things just immediately flash through your mind. Let's see.. yes, they're still in fourth year (this is the last chapter of fourth, then the next is summer) and, thanks for liking Taylor, hehe.

Oliverwoodschic- Well you'll find out eventually how they died, just not right away. It's not really a necessity, and it fits better with a situation that'll come up (much : p) later. Glad you found the skipping hilarious, hehe, and thanks for the review!

Luna- Me no know why you're talking like that either : p Thanks for the review, glad you like it!

Molly- Lol, your review made me laugh (once again) even though it was about sad stuff. Sorry for putting you through such emotional turmoil, sounds like you can really do with some chocolate. Or tea. You like that, don't you?

Witch Silestial- Ooh, what's this, a new reviewer? Or have you been reading update-by-update? Hmm... such things to contemplate. Well thanks either way for the fantastic review, much appreciated!

kawaii-cherryblossom-saku- I'm really sorry for the loss of your brother, that must've been really tough. Thanks for the great review, I really appreciate hearing that the emotions I write in my stories are true to what would really happen.

MissBlueAngel- You'll find out how they died eventually, but just not right away. It's not really a necessity to know, but you'll still find out sometime. Thanks for the review!

Celebrean- Ah, very sorry I couldn't get you out of your depressed mood. Yes, Remus is evil. The spawn of Satan, he is.

Californiagurl- Yeah, pretty sad, wasn't it? Poor Lily... They're in fourth year, but this is the last chapter for fourth so next one will be summer (or two) and then.. fifth. Finally! Hehe, you're not the only one that can't wait for Lily and James to get together ; )

Sallymander- Poor Lily indeed : ( I feel sorry for her too, actually. What an evil author I am, making bad stuff happen to my characters. Poor characters...

SeCrEt LiLy- Yep, denial. Also yes, she has accepted the passing of her parents, and yes you will find out more details, just not right now. Glad you liked it, thanks!

Dulcis- Hey, I so disclaimed you. And we thought of that together, okay? Jeesh. Testy shrimp poppers... TWINKLE!

Ninde Annare- Among all the sadness, glad I could still make you laugh : ) Thanks for the inspirational review!

Sherlock- Hmm... I'm not sure if you're going to notice this is your response or not.. hmm.. well anyway, glad you liked it so much! That was an excellent review, it make me feel really awesome : )

Sblome- Look up. (Yes, up. One response. See it? There ya go ; p)

RavenSiriusBlack- Woo, you hit my theory right on the nail. (I think that's how the saying goes...) Anyway, thanks for the review!

Lachwen- Thanks! Friendly words are always appreciated : )

Gaby-Black- Glad you thought so : ) Ah, school. Always getting in the way, isn't it? Hope you hurry with your story, too!

Blood Emerald- Oh, that's all right, I completely understand about crappy computers (every time I go on I have to restart it at _least_ three times). Thanks for the review!

Padfootz- Lol, Professor Fluent is very unpredictable, don't worry. Thanks mucho for the excellent review!

Misakichi1- Yes, I know, she didn't deserve it. Tis sad, tis sad. But what are ya gonna do? Blame JKR, not me. ; )

DobbyGrl- Wow, glad you liked it so much! The motivating words always help to get my rate of typing way up ; ) (Even if you couldn't tell this last update...)

Romulan Empress- Ah, yes. Content, rather than contempt, was definitely what I was going for. ::sheepish smile:: Thanks for letting me know, I plan to change that as soon as I get a chance. As always, advice and opinions very much appreciated!

Tootles


	42. Through the Green Gaze

A/N: Oh, oh no. I don't even want to look at the calendar to see how long it's been. Well, my very profuse, profuse apologies; unfortunately this first 'installment' is not that well worth the wait, but I assure you, they'll get better as they come along. Or at least more interesting. I hope.

I've pre-written these and made all five 'installments' approximately sevenish pages (that's a little over half of an average chapter) so that I'll be able to upload each one once every three days, where you'll get a new character's perspective. Also, since this is going to go pretty quickly, I'm going to put all of my review responses in the next regular chapter, when their school-year starts back up and we return to 3rd POV. Okie doke? If you have any questions or free time ; ) go on and check out my livejournal, where everything will be laid out nice and simply, or feel free tomessage me. Thanks!

First off, Lily's POV.

_Lily _

* * *

I criticized the freakishly green orbs that stared back at me, examining every teeny fleck and detail. 

I used to like my eyes, a lot actually... Until one particular incident at a family picnic, that involved a raucous game of leap frog and a rather scummy pond, and earned me the nickname Toad Eyes.

"It's really quite simple," a voice gibed behind me. "You pick the bread up, slide it in the slot, and press that big black lever."

I closed my eyes. Maybe if I couldn't see her she'd go away.

After a few moments I squinted an eye open, only to see a distorted view of my sister in our archaic and scuffed up toaster. Sighing, I turned around. "Did you want something?"

"I need to make a call," she pointed to the telephone that hung on the adjacent wall. "And I'd like some privacy, if you don't mind."

I bit my tongue to refrain from replying with anything vulgar. "Well I'm about to eat," I said slowly. "Give me five minutes."

Petunia huffed and glared at me. "It's crucial," she informed me haughtily.

"Right," I scoffed. "Making smoochy noises and all that other gushy nonsense with your little fling is _not_ considered crucial."

Petunia narrowed her eyes. "Miles is not a _fling_." When I only replied with a bored gaze she scowled and grabbed the phone off the hook, walking as far around the corner as the cord would allow her.

Once she was finally out of sight and her stupid babble began floating down the hall, I shuffled across the kitchen floor and towards the inviting refrigerator.

I shifted away a jar of questionable mayonnaise, salami that was definitely against health code, and finally settled on a piece of leftover pizza. Standing up, I peeled off the aluminum, side-stepping to toss the wrappings into the trash can. I reached to set the timer and nuke it for awhile, so I- oh!

That was _not_ an olive.

Scrunching up my face in disgust, I held the unidentified parcel as far away as possible from me and cast it into the garbage_. Honestly_.

In an admitted defeat I took a breath and attempted to scour the cupboards instead. I pushed open the bi-fold door, but as I bent forward to grab the peanut butter something stopped me; something was different, out of place...

"Petunia..." I called slowly, looking between the bare door and where the telephone lie coiled. "Petunia!"

My irritated sister poked her head around the corner. "What do you want?"

I traced the side of the refrigerator with my finger. "What'd you do with the board?"

Petunia stiffened. "I cleaned up."

I gave a short laugh of disbelief. "Cleaned up? You don't just clean up that-"

"It was nonsense," she snapped, pale eyes flashing. "I couldn't stand the clutter."

I had to blink several times before her words could set in.

'The board' was a fairly large corkboard that hung on the side of our refrigerator for a decade at least, where we could post absolutely anything we wanted, mostly good report cards and pictures of old pets, recipes that everyone loved or portraits of the family. I felt anger swell inside me as I remembered the pictures of mum and dad posted along with the others.

"_Nonsense_?" I demanded.

Petunia's cool look remained. "Yes. This is my house now, you wouldn't understand about the trivial-"

"Trivial?" I repeated disbelievingly. "Petunia, those were the only pictures of mum and-"

"Don't mention those names in here," she said sharply.

I paused, watching as her face paled and her grip loosened on the telephone. "What?" I finally found my voice.

Petunia cleared her throat. "Those names," she repeated briskly. "They're no need to mention them, they're gone so there's no use really-"

I stared at my sister. I hadn't really thought about how she would take it, or if it came to it how she would deal. But she couldn't be this cold-hearted...

"Sure they are, Tun," I said softly, "but it doesn't mean we're just going to forget them."

Petunia opened her mouth, but then shut it, bringing up the receiver instead. "I'll call you back later, Miles," she said quickly, before clunking the phone back on the hook.

"Listen," she said, before I had a chance to speak again. "I just don't favor looking at all that every single day, so if I want to take it down I'm going to." She glared as if daring me to respond, before turning around on the slippery tile and making to stalk out the door.

Dare I did. "Do you remember her smile?"

Petunia froze, her back still facing me. "What kind of stupid question is that?"

"Or that expression dad wore at all of our recitals?"

"Of course I do," Petunia responded curtly.

I stared at the back of my sister's stubborn head, crossing my arms to shield a sudden chill. "Because I don't."

I watched as Petunia finally turned around; her stare locked with mine, both of us too stubborn to drop it. "You're being childish." Her sharp voice was faltering.

I continued on as if I hadn't heard her. "They're fading, and you know it. Our memories are slipping, I didn't think it'd be this quick but it is, Petunia, I'm forgetting, and you are too. Already I can't remember his laugh, or her habits, or-"

"Mum's voice," Petunia added quietly.

I nodded slowly. "Or mum's voice."

Petunia shifted rigidly from one foot to the other, lowering her gaze. "So what are we supposed to do?"

I took a breath, an idea forming in my head. "Well, what would mum do?"

Her furrowed brows of confusion only lasted several seconds before lifting to those of understanding. "I'll get the glue."

-------

I swiped a strand of hair out of my eyes and brought the gluestick down to form an even square on the pliant white paper. "Can you pass me the markers?"

Petunia nodded absently as she pressed a green umbrella cut-out across a picture of my family, all wearing matching galoshes and soaked to the bone, before tossing me the box of markers. "Finished with the glue?"

My mum wasn't an obsessive scrapbooker, but she _was_ quite consistent. Each member of the family had their own book, the kids starting all the way from the moment they were born, and my parents' starting from the moment they met. 'My Beginning' was scripted lavishly across the cover, the tall letters in glittering gold and surrounded by a frame of an astute color, deep blue for my parents, red for Petunia, and green for myself.

One of the greatest things about it is that there's no said ending point to a scrapbook. There can always be more filler to purchase, more pictures to paste, until the maker decides themselves that the book is complete. Mum had paid closest attention to ours, adding every detail she could to this illustrated document of our lives, but in turn had paid least attention to her very own. And so, collecting all the photographed memories we could, Petunia and I finished it for her.

We worked in silence, but once in awhile one of us would find a particular picture that triggered a distinct memory, and merely showing it to one another was more than words could've ever expressed. We worked well together, probably the first time in nearly a decade, preserving each memory in a task that served as the resolution we had both badly needed.

Time wasn't an issue, as we continued working until the very last photograph was smoothed into its precise position. Petunia and I stared at it soundlessly, until eventually she gripped the edge with care and flipped it shut with a soft sense of finality. I watched as she traced the spine with her fingertip, but still feeling it needed something more, I turned the book over so that its title lay facing up.

I reached out for my paintbrush, dipping it quickly in a tube of gold paint before bringing it back to hover above the cover. After a few moments of watching my steady script, Petunia grabbed a brush as well and assisted me in writing the last couple of letters.

Our task complete, we returned the brushes to their rightful spots and looked down upon our finished work.

_My Beginning  
My Last_

-

When I woke up my head was smashed up against a potted plant, and the supplies we had left out the previous night were neatly stacked on the shelves we had found them. Petunia was brewing coffee and the news was murmuring beneath the sound of frying eggs; I groggily made my way into the kitchen, the the scent of breakfast simply calling to me.

"One of your little friends left a message," Petunia informed me briskly, pausing only to salt and pepper the eggs. "Taylor something or another."

"That's Julie," I clarified distractedly, as I walked across the kitchen. I leaned over to inspect the eggs. "Do we have any syrup?"

Petunia smacked my hand away. "Don't touch that," she said, shielding the eggs protectively with a thin hand. "I'm taking them to Miles." She drew a spatula from the drawer and began to scrape the pan. "The friend that called... she's the one you're staying with, isn't it? Well go on and call her, I'm not going to wait all day to take you."

I raised a brow. Part of me had realized last night that even though she had shown some very valid signs of compassion, by morning she'd be her old crabby self. It was just her way, I guess.

"Going," I replied to Petunia's impatient look. I struggled to remember Julie's number, dialing several variations before finally reaching the right one; when I actually got a hold her she was quick and out of breath, but assured me that she was ready for me today and to get there anytime after noon. I informed Petunia and set off upstairs to finish packing my bags.

My room looked unnaturally bare, what with everything crammed into a trunk and two carry on bags, pictures and dresser ornaments included. I didn't like the sight of it, so I hurried to collect a few last minute things before hastening down the stairs.

"Ready Petunia!" I shouted on my way out to the front porch.

The news clicked off and she appeared under the doorframe, brushing her hands on a towel and slipping off a starch white apron. "Let's go then," she said, striding out in front of me and through the doorway. "Hurry along now, I'm supposed to meet Miles by two."

The ride was not very enjoyable, to say the least. Petunia kept silent the entire trip, occasionally turning the radio on to horrible crooning singers and tapping her fingers to the beat, but other than that showing absolutely no traits ordinary in a human. Like... talking.

It didn't bother me too much; the drive to Julie's wasn't that long and I had a History of Magic assignment to keep me busy. When the bustling streets turned into quiet, wider roads and the sight of nature became more frequent, I put my homework away and began to help search for her upcoming street. Finally my sister pulled up to a white colonial with pale blue trimmings, a sight that ever-so-slightly triggered a memory. A few summers ago we had picked Julie up to go to the Three Cross Station, because neither of her parents could get off work.

Petunia barely came to a full stop before I was out the door and dragging my luggage down the drive, and I hoped beyond hope that this was the right house as I heard my only means of transportation screech down the road behind me.

The address matched so I felt reassured that this was the correct place, but when I knocked on the side-door she had told me to go to and no one answered, the same unsettled feeling rose up again. I dropped my trunk on the grass and walked up the front porch, knocking again, this time harder and for a longer amount of time. The house still stood silent, withno inclination of movement at all. I paced over to the windows, pulling back the daisy speckled curtain warily. My heart raced as I found no sign of anyone inside, and began to doubt myself as I stepped back to examine the semi-familiar home.

Thinking back, I don't really remember these potted plants, or that porch swing, and the door paneling doesn't strike a thought at all, in fact I could be in a whole other country for all I know, what with Petunia's crazy driving and who knows her motives-

"Lily!"

I whipped around, my pale face slowly returning back to its appropriate color as I took in the wonderfully familiar sight of my friend. Julie was walking down the driveway, carrying a package in one hand and tugging her sister along with the other.

"I'm terribly sorry," she apologized, shifting the package to her other hand as she placed an arm around her young sibling's shoulder. "I didn't think it'd take so long to pick up 'Bec and then the market was colossally busy... You haven't been waiting long, have you?"

I shook my head. "That's all right, it was only a couple of minutes." Peering down at her timid looking sister, I smiled and asked, "So this is Rebecca?"

"Uh-huh," Julie returned my smile and gently pushed her sister forward. She suddenly frowned and raised her hand to look at her watch, before digging through her pocket and retrieving a key. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize how late it was... I've got to go get this started if we want to eat tonight. Here Bec, why don't you two introduce yourselves while I go put this in the oven?"

With quick smile and encouraging pat on her sister's back, she turned the key and hastily stepped through the door. The clanging of pans and running water sounded from the back of the house, and turning away from it, I crouched down to her sister's level. "Hi," I said, sticking my hand out. "It's wonderful to finally meet you, Rebecca."

Rebecca stared back at me with wide eyes and mouth hanging slightly open. "Er," I began again, once several minutes had passed and she had still yet to respond. "I-uh, I like your giraffe," I complimented the worn out stuffed animal she clung loosely. I reached out to touch its blue collar, "Oh... and I'll bet this is a wonderful combination of cotton and wicker-" Rebecca yelped and stumbled backwards, hiding the animal behind her. I watched in horror as her lower lip began to tremble, and soft green eyes began to water.

"Oh no, no don't cry, I, I uh," I stuttered hopelessly, hopping on either foot as I tried to decide what to do. "Sorry, please, here just..." I tentatively reached out a hand to awkwardly pat her head. She shook her head and backed up... unfortunately right into a hand-painted ceramic pot. It quickly went tumbling to the ground, along with half a pound of dirt and Julie's little sister.

I froze, looking over the scene in horror. I'd terrified a little girl, attacked her toy, and sent her falling into a shower of plaster and dirt in all of two minutes. I should not be trusted around anything small and breathing.

Julie's head craned around the doorframe. "Is everything all-" Her eyes widened as they fell upon the pot and her dirt covered sister. "Oh! I'm sorry," she apologized, kneeling down and scooping up her sister. "I shouldn't have left you two all by yourselves, I just needed to get dinner started and-"

"That's okay," I replied tightly. "Just as long as I didn't damage her."

Julie laughed. "She's fine," she said, and as if to prove her point, set her sister back down on the porch. Rebecca immediately recuperated and zoomed back into the house.

"Oh," I said softly, leaning beside Julie.

"Well come on in," she said warmly, grabbing an end of my trunk and stepping inside the door. "I made some strawberry scones earlier, let me just get Bec her allergy pill- she'll never sleep if she has it after four- and then I'll get us a plate of some."

"Sounds great," I smiled in return. Once we stepped into her home, I peered around the empty room, a thought striking in my mind. "Where are your parents?"

"Ah, let's see," she said, flicking her eyes around the room in thought. "Today's Thursday, so dad should be home by six."

I waited for her to answer about her mum, but several seconds later Julie still hadn't responded, and was already resuming her walk to the kitchen. "Julie?" I called from the living room. She stopped and turned around to glance at me; something in her gaze made me reconsider my question. "Um... Need any help with the scones?"

* * *

A/N: The scrapbook has some significance, don't worry. Thanks for reading, and be sure to keep an eye out for Remus's POV next 'installment' : ) 


	43. From the Retrospect of an Indubitably An...

_From the Retrospect of an Indubitably Anti-Impulsivist_

A/N:sigh: I didn't realize how much I missed you guys. It's killing me not to respond to your reviews, but for the sake of quickly updated installments I mustn't. But don't worry, they're coming soon. So, dum dum de dum, here's Remus : )

Ooh, and I know bobble heads weren't around in the seventies, but I couldn't find the name for those little ducky toy thingies that bob into water, so just imagine I'm refering to those. You probably have no idea what I'm talking about, but that's okay. If you'd really like I could draw a cyber picture for you.

_Remus_

* * *

"I'm not nervous."

My stomach's about to explode with the feeling that I just drank a bad elixir and I fear I'm going to dehydrate from the severe loss of liquids by means of my sweaty palms.

"Really," I gulped. "I'm not."

Grace squinted a suspicious eye at me. "You're such a liar." She took my hand, "Really, you've got nothing to worry about."

Oh no, not the hand. Can't she grab my shoulder, or something that isn't well... moist?

Either her sense of touch is frighteningly off or she just doesn't care, because she's still holding my hand tightly. Her big eyes glance towards me, and although her mouth's moving I can't seem to remember how to listen as her eyes ensnare me in a trap of sapphire blue.

"Now that's really important," Grace's words finally transferred to my brain, "all right?"

What was really important? Oh no, I'm nodding, my head's nodding involuntarily and now she thinks I know what's really important. Why do I keep nodding? Right now she's probably regretting taking a bobble-head boy to meet her family, because who wants-

"You'll be fine," Grace assured as she guided me slowly up the porch steps. "And if you need to," she squared her shoulders and placed on a brave expression, "use me as your shield. I'm willing to sacrifice myself, especially against the wrath of my insane family members."

Her words were comforting, and as far-fetched as they might've been, they reminded me of the reason I was here. Spending two weeks with Grace was going to be worth it, no matter what the circumstances were. "Insane?" I arched an eyebrow jokingly. "Well, they did raise you..."

Grace smirked and playfully kicked the heel of my shoe. Unfortunately, holding the trunk one handed and being impelled with a toe turned out to be not the greatest combination, and sent me stumbling back down the steps. Since Grace was clutching the hand that should've been clutching the trunk, she went stumbling as well.

Grace sighed as she began to untangle her limbs from the mess we created at the bottom of the steps. "We've got a serious problem with stairs, you know that?"

I laughed reluctantly, recalling the memorable night in the common room. "No broken bones this time, right?" Grace shook her head, smiling. "See," I said happily from my spot on the hard concrete, "we're progressing!"

Grace grimaced and nudged my shoulder. "Get up, you lug. I can't get my leg out until you move." She gave a poor endeavor to free her leg, brushing her high-top converse against my ankle.

It was just then I realized how very near I was to Grace. How very, very near.

I couldn't help it. My eyes were glued to her face, and I must've looked like quite the fool squinting intensely at her (my glasses lay two feet away, but it wasn't exactly the opportune time to reach for them...) taking in every perfect and imperfect detail that I had never been close enough to see. Her demanding look faded away, and somewhere in the back of my mind I noted she had surrendered the feeble attempt to release her leg. Distantly I felt a pebble pierce into my elbow, but there was no way anything was going to deter me from this moment, and my body apparently agreed, shifting forward as it now acted without directions from my brain and on its very own accord. Her deep gaze was the only thing holding me up as we both inclined forward; she was so close, closer than I deserved to be to such a wonderful girl, and as the seconds raced on I could even smell the faint scent of-

"Corned beef and cabbage, fifteen minutes!"

My head snapped up at the exclamation, and to my horror viewed an elder lady standing five feet above us, ladle in one hand and apron in the other.

The lady drew the spoon to her mouth. "Oh my Word!"

"Ooh," Grace squealed, hurrying to weave her leg out from under mine, which of course happened to be the same time I rashly attempted to get up. We clunked heads and twisted into an even more- if possible- unusual position.

A woman with fiery red hair and a man with receding sandy brown stepped out of the house arm in arm, and three seconds later another man and three ladies followed, trailed by a group of toddlers and two older boys.

Oh, Merlin help me.

A boy with wild toffee colored hair stopped when he reached the bottom stare, eyeing our odd placement upon the rough concrete. "What are you two up to?"

"Oh, get off it Ryan," Grace said, pushing herself up and hurrying off the ground. "We just tripped on that faulty stair dad's been telling you to fix."

Her family's still watching, I'm still lying on the ground, vision going slightly hazy... Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out...

His eyes traveled to the left of us, and for the first time I realized my trunk had clunked down with us, lying upside down on the lawn, but still clasped securely closed with my rusty old lock.

Grace's family began bustling around once more, the toddlers waddling back into the house, several couples stepping down the stairs with a nod in my direction and then a stroll around the garden, and the young women and older ladies leaning against the porch to chat. The man with the receding hairline placed a hand around his red-headed wife, and they stepped down the stairs along with two rather lofty boys.

"Well here's the family," Grace said, gesturing her mother and father over. She tilted her head towards me and widened her eyes, signaling for me to stand up.

"Right," I immediately sprung up, scolding myself for the delayed reaction. "H-hi, wonderful to meet you ma'am, sir, great house, really nice."

"Daniel Shadron," Grace's father said, holding out his hand for me to shake.

His wife smiled broadly. "I'm Kelly. It's wonderful to finally meet you, Remus."

I tried to pull the most polite expression I could, nodding and smiling in return. Her parents smiled back pleasantly, but seemed to be waiting for some kind of response. Should I say something? I should say something. Am I still shaking Mr. Shadron's hand? What do I say? Sirius's advice rang throughout my head...

"I can see where Grace gets her good looks from," Sirius's words tumbled out of my mouth. Oh... I- did I just say that? I can't believe I just said that... Well, well maybe it won't be so bad, maybe-

Why is her mother's expression turning all funny? And why is her dad looking at me like that? What did I do? I did something, I know it, but I don't-

"Remus," Grace leaned in and whispered out of the corner of her mouth. "I, er... I thought I told you I was adopted."

Grace was adopted.

If Grace was adopted, she wouldn't look like her mother.

Of course I knew she was adopted, she told me she was adopted so why wouldn't I know she was adopted? What kind of horrible person doesn't remember when someone tells them something so very important like the fact that they're adopted? Now I look insensitive, and I must be insensitive, because I surely did not remember that being adopted would mean a different parent and therefore different looks.

I told her mother I could tell where Grace's good looks came from.

Grace didn't get her good looks from her.

Oh Merlin... I just called her mother good looking.

"Well," Mrs. Shadron clapped her hands together. "Ah... Dinner in fifteen minutes. Grace, you can show Remus around if you'd like."

"Uh, sure," Grace said slowly, sending a worried look in my direction. Nodding her head encouragingly she beckoned for me to follow her up the stairs and into the house. Seconds later we were alone in her upstairs hallway, Grace looking at me strangely as I stared back at her with earnest apologies.

"I'm sorry," were the first words that popped out of my mouth. "I- oh, I knew you were adopted, I just-"

"That's all right," Grace waved me off. A weak smile formed on her face and she shook her head, black locks bouncing. "You're the absolute worst at first impressions."

Well that makes me feel better.

"Gee, thanks," I said, sinking against the flower spotted wallpaper. I sighed, clasping my hands behind my head. "It's only been five minutes and I've already mucked it all up."

"Yeah," Grace agreed, nodding her head dismally. "Can you imagine how horrible it'll be the rest of the week?"

My stomach churned. "I don't want to think about it."

Grace sighed, looking at me intently. "You should probably just leave."

"Oh," Her statement was rash, but I understood. "Yeah... Okay. I guess I'll go get my-"

"Remus!" she punched my shoulder roughly. Ouch... Grace really doesn't know her own strength. She linked my elbow and pulled me away from the stairs. "I'm only kidding; you did fine, really."

I frowned wearily. "I don't think so."

"Sure you did," she widened her eyes and cooed, pinching my cheeks. "With that cute little face who _couldn't_ adore you?" I laughed reluctantly, rubbing the spot she had squeezed. Her smile changed from joshing to genuine. "You did fabulous, Mr. Lupin, _fabulous_."

I smiled. She always _did _have that distinct way of making me feel better. "Thanks."

Grace nodded in response, and began to walk down the hallway. "Much better than all the other boys, anyway."

---

"Well here's your room," Grace announced, showing me into a well-polished guest room. Everything was in place and excessively neat; the border on the wall even matched the bedspread and pillowcase.

"Don't worry about keeping it tidy," she said, waving at the neatly folded sheets and dustless dresser tops. "I know that's not exactly your forte."

I grumbled silent curses at James and Sirius. Grace was still under the impression I was as messy as she had viewed my room that night after the holidays, no matter how hard I tried to explain the situation.

"C'mon," Grace tugged on my sleeve. "You've _got_ to see Cha Cha."

I wrinkled my nose in confusion. "Cha Cha?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded. "You know, the chinchilla."

"Oh..." I gulped. Bugger, my helmet was still downstairs in my trunk. "I uh- well you know, we could see that later-"

"Nah," Grace scooted me down the hallway. "We've got plenty of time before dinner."

Before I knew it I was standing before the door, tall and purposely shut tight. "Well.. er, shouldn't we have gloves, or something?"

Grace squinted her eyes at me. "My room's not _that_ bad."

I watched in wonder as she reached to open the door. I knew Grace was daring, but keeping a venomous sharp-toothed evil creature in her bedroom? Wow.

If my guard wasn't so high up against this poisonous animal, I would've laughed at how very different Grace's room was from the rest of the house. While the downstairs and halls and been refined and orderly, only colored with pastels and plain colors, hers was the complete opposite side of the spectrum.

Bright splashes of color dressed the walls, and at least thirty crystal stars of violet and blue floated along the windows and ceiling, held up by invisible lengths of string. Posters of bands I didn't recognize, such as 'Aerosmith' and 'Taxi', were pasted everywhere, a mass of pictures -some moving, some muggle- sat on a collage above her dresser, and a big canvas surrounded by a plethora of glue bottles, paints, and brushes stood beside a personalized Quidditch embellished desk. In one word, it was Grace.

"Mind the paint," she cautioned, motioning towards an abstract sketch, its colors still bright with the wet paint. I marveled at the pieces as we walked by; I knew Grace was creative, but I had no dea she was such a good artist.

Grace stopped at a tall sheet covered object I had assumed was just another of her extravagant artworks. "Here we go," she said, pulling at the sheet and raising her hand to tug it off. A rustle sounded underneath, and I realized the lethal creature was right in front of me. As she lifted the cloth I immediately fell into a defensive stance, arms held up defiantly and feet planted firmly on the ground.

Grace grinned as her eyes flicked from me to the tiny animal. I examined it, my guard slowly decreasing as I took in the small and furry chinchilla. The claws didn't look too monstrous... and venomous spit was seeming less and less likely to be a probable characteristic.

Grace reached in and picked up the Chinchilla. "Were you afraid of this little thing?" she asked, smiling at me from above the tiny creature.

"Er..." I began uncertainly, "No?"

I am going to kill Peter. Why do all of my friends hate me?

"Dinner!" Mrs. Shadron's shout sounded from downstairs, saving me from having to explain further to Grace about Peter and his warped view of harmless little creatures.

"Okay," Grace began, setting the animal back in its cage. "Just remember to avoid sitting on Aunt Margaret's left, she's the one with the big red hair, or across from Uncle Edward." I nodded, ordering myself to do everything right this time. "Oh," she added, pausing before leading me out of the room, "and if someone offers you something brown and foamy, don't take it. The Irish like their liquor."

---

I'm in a slight state of shock. Dinner went surprisingly well, and I actually began to enjoy it once the Shadron's got routinely and humorously drunk, reminding myself that whatever stupid thing I said tonight would most likely be forgotten by morning. I hadn't been expecting Grace's grandmother to offer me a mug of the brew, however, and that almost proved disastrous. Other than that, everything went all right. I was glad Grace had briefed me about football on the train-ride back to King's Cross Station, because it was all her brothers talked about. The rest of the night was spent talking with Grace and her brothers about football (they were all very, very obsessed) with an occasional reference to quidditch. Finally her mum -tipsy, but not as smashed as the others, specifically her Grandmother- announced with surprise how very late it was, and that everyone was to head up to bed immediately.

While Grace got ready for bed _downstairs_, I grabbed the towels Mrs. Shadron had provided and took a quick shower in the _upstair_s bathroom- her brothers were friendly, but I think there was a reason my room was the farthest away from Grace's.

I grimaced when I found what pajamas my mum had tucked in my trunk. Honestly, I haven't liked dinosaurs for years. Just as I decided to wear a plain white undershirt and rough it out in the dino shorts (I had to look at least somewhat mature- what if there was a fire and I had to run outside in my pajamas?), a soft knock tapped once before the door squeaked noisily open.

"Hey!" I yelped, instinctively tugging the towel tighter around my waist. Grace glanced over at took sight of me, and I felt embarrassment for her wash through me as I anticipated her abashed reaction.

"Huh?" Grace asked distractedly. "Oh, sorry Remus. Hey is my hairbrush over there?"

I gaped at her. Here I was, standing in the middle of the room with nothing but a thin layer of terrycloth covering me and carrying dinosaur boxers, and she didn't seem the least bit embarrassed!

"Oh, nevermind," she said, spotting her brush and reaching above the mirror for it. She ran it through her hair, humming softly and calmly inspecting her half-painted fingernails.

I shifted uneasily. "Er..."

"Oh!" Grace's head shot up suddenly.

Ah, she's finally recognized the fact that I am standing here in a towel. Any moment her face is going to go all red with embarrassment...

"Let's go outside," she suggested excitedly, grinning and dropping her hairbrush carelessly onto the counter. "There's this brilliant rock garden you're just going to love."

"W-what?" I asked, thoroughly flustered by her unexpected suggestion.

"C'mon," she said, wrapping her wet hair into a long ponytail and motioning me to follow her out of the bathroom. "Everyone's gone to bed already."

"I but I- I'm in a_ towel_," I stated dumbly.

Grace looked over me and quirked a brow, finally acknowledging the obvious fact. An innocent smile turned the corner of her lips, and she winked, remarking coyly, "I don't mind."

Oh, Merlin.

Grace laughed, probably at my stupidly staring expression. "Go put your T-Rex shorts on and meet me back in the hall. I need to get a sweatshirt, anyway."

"But we're... we're just going take a stroll in your backyard in the middle of the night?"

Grace shrugged. "Maybe we can stop in the kitchen and get some linguini too. If there isn't any we could always bake some brownies. Ooh, or pudding."

I stared back at her uncertainly. "Well it's... I mean, it's all so sudden, maybe we should plan-"

"Oh Remus," Grace sighed, shaking her head. "Does everything always have to happen according to plan?"

Yes.

"Does it always have to be _normal_?"

Definitely.

"Would something go horribly wrong if you decided to do something impulsive?" 

Most likely.

"I am going to teach you, Mister Lupin," she wagged a finger at me. "I am going to teach you how to be wild, impulsive, and care-free..." she held her arms out and spun, nearly knocking over a row of shampoo bottles.

I started and reached out hastily to prevent the bottles from falling. "Remus," Grace reacted just as quickly and grabbed my hands before they could reach the shampoo. Her eyes flickered over my face, as she slowly pushed my hands away from the counter.

"Does it matter if they fall?"

Next to me the bottle teetered, but after a few seconds settled and remained still. "I... I think it does."

"Why?" Her hands remained on my own as she stared up at me from her kneeling position.

"Well the floor, it would be all sticky- and then what if you needed the shampoo and didn't have any? You couldn't go out because your hair would be all dirty and-"

"Yes," Grace interrupted me with a swift affirmative nod. "I'm sure of it now."

I looked up at her uncertainly, thrown off by her peculiar disruption. "What?"

"You're in dire need of a Spontaneous Day," she informed me matter-of-factly.

"Spontaneous Day?" I repeated dubiously. Grace nodded, a broad grin spanning across her face. I tried to smile back but I think it came out as more of a grimace. "When?"

Grace looked over me with exasperated wide eyes. "If I told you, it wouldn't be very spontaneous, now would it?"

This cannot be good.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading : ) Stay tuned for a _very_ Sirius update. 

Sorry for that horrible pun.

I promise to never do it again.

Probably.


	44. The Stellar Scrutiny of a very Spiffing ...

_The Stellar Scrutiny of a very Spiffing Sirius Black_

A/N: Before you begin this chapter, Sirius would like a few words.  
  
S/N: Allow me to first logically explain Mrs. Potter's nick-name. Mi, quite clearly derives  
from the word Misses, p from Potter, and anyone with sense could see the obvious resemblance to poppy flower, which relates uncannily to the 1800's battlefield deaths, where Madame Guerin took on and created funds for the homeless children. Ah, therefore... Mippy.  
  
V/N: Wow... Handsome _and_ smart.

* * *

_Sirius  
_  
I wonder how long it takes for a sickly protuberance on one's head to dwindle to a reasonable and distinguished lump?  
  
At first I was angry with James, as he had sent an undeserved diabolical wallop upon my humble head, but looking back, the situation _may_ have been a tiny bit provoked.  
  
What can I say? I was excited for my best mate, that's all. Honestly, you'd of thought he would've rejoiced, too. Finding your true love is a very big deal. 

Well maybe it was because his prize, his dearest, his tootsie, was the very girl he had sworn an oath to hating forever and ever, in this world and the next, until eternity proved certain and he floated away to heaven where there would certainly be no sign of _her_. And this was a very big oath, too. When it involves spitting, prancing, whistling, and a tablespoon of baby powder, you know it's quite the big deal. But hey, it's not _my_ fault his numero uno turned out to be none other than the fiery Lily Evans.  
  
I don't see the problem. The feistier the better, really.  
  
Angry lump on my head or not, it was well worth it to see James's face when I informed him of this intriguing information. And it's true, too. Witch's Weekly never lies.  
  
James is in denial, I think. He's a big stubborn lump of denial, moping on his bed and pouting like a right old toddler. It's okay, though. Every boy reaches a peak of the rebellious phase, and the best thing to do is to just let it abate gradually and naturally. See, and my ignorant comrades make a big old bother about my occasional read-through of Witch's Weekly. Good thing my cultured self is here to brilliantly guide them through life's troubles and bumpy roads.  
  
It was fate, really, coming about that article. I was looking for a good foot exfoliation cream, for Mippy's birthday, of course, but the picture of throbbing polka dots and riveting stripes had amused me.

Moon to sun, black to white, moo to oink; sound familiar? 'Well, no,' I had responded to the text. After quickly twisting around to make sure no one had heard me talking to Mippy's magazine, I read further.  
  
_"I'd rather share a carriage with a hinkypuff... You are a pretentious git that should be locked in chambers far, far away, or at least where I can't see you... I could care less if you were suited in an ensemble of thick metal and thrown into a cage of hungry nifflers..." If you, or your counterpart, recalls uttering these masked words of endearment, then you are surely on the road to true love, my friend._

I acknowledged these words as strangely familiar, but couldn't quite put my finger on where I had previously heard them. And so I read on:

_While these deceivingly harsh words are, to the average eye, a sign of a spurning loathe, in depth studies and a series of shrouded tests prove that these along with long strings of  
curses, stomping upon toes, and twisting of ears, are mere signs of a hidden desideratum._  
  
After looking up the word 'desideratum', I began to think. Masked words of endearment... twisting of ears... Suspicious thoughts formed in my mind, but suddenly the blissful scent of roast beef wafted through the door, distracting and forfeiting any hopes of an intellectual breakthrough. Two portions of beef and three flaky rolls later, I was back in my room, delving further into the fascinating article. All I really needed was several crucial clues...

_Shockingly, our researches have come to the unfathomable conclusion that these besotted foes will often share contrasting characteristics. For instance, the male (for easier reading we shall refer to him as Mames) may have tangled, midnight black locks, while his corresponding desire (we shall refer to her as Quilly) could have, say, striking red._

"What're you doing?" James's voice caught me off-guard. I quickly stuffed a pillow over the magazine and turned towards him.

"Nothing," I responded coolly. "What are _you_ doing?"

James frowned at me suspiciously, before shaking his head and stepping over to his wardrobe. He pulled an old robe out and began to replace the new one he was currently wearing. "Mum's going all mumish again. She just declared she's going to give me a haircut."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," James glanced into the mirror, criticizing his reflection. "She says she has to at least _attempt_ to control my tangled, midnight black locks."

"Oh." I looked up and grinned. "Well good luck with that!"

James grumbled a sarcastic thanks before leaving the room. _Finally._ I thought I'd never get back to my article.

_Mames and Quilly compete at everything. Right down to the latest Charms Exam-_

"Oy, mate, wanna hand me my book?" James disgruntled head poked through the door. "I figure I might as well get _something_ done while mum's messing with this." He pointed to a rather humorous mop of chopped up hair.

"Uh-huh," I absently reached towards his trunk. "Which one?"

"Ah, Charms I guess."

I tossed him the book, and as soon as he left went back to the article. These interruptions are killing me.

_Mames is often found places Quilly is not, and vice versa. For instance Mames could be on the quidditch field, in detention, or pulling an all-nighter as he roams mysterious places, while Quilly, always the studious one, is found in the library, studying or working hard on some sort of a task or obligation. Mames could be quite the jokester, while Quilly is serious and indubitably logical. Mames could possibly enjoy medical genres whereas Quilly prefers photography and one dimensional arts-_

Wait a minute! Medical genres? James _just_ bought a package of broomstick animated band-aids! And, and photography... Lily, yes _Lily Evans_ asked Minnie just two months ago if the enchanted film particles correlate with the increments in muggle cinematography!

And that is how I came to the logical deduction that James is madly in love with Lily.  
  
Or will be, at least. It's destiny after all.  
  
-----  
  
"Umph," James grunted at me. Morning grogginess always has him speaking troll.  
  
I poked him. "Your mum told me to wake you up."  
  
"Ugh phum gregh mumph," James retorted.  
  
"Yeah, that's what I said too," I replied knowingly. "But she wants to go early to beat the crowds in Diagon Alley."  
  
"Grumph?"  
  
I thought for a moment. "Eggs and bacon, I think." James went still again, and his eyes began to droop in a surefire sign he was headed back to sleep. "C'mon you prat," I smacked his head. "I'll bet your beloved red-head will be there..."  
  
"Preghmumf."  
  
I crossed my arms, highly affronted. "That was very inappropriate."  
  
I finally dragged him out of bed and to the breakfast table, where there was sadly no eggs and bacon but rather carrot muffins instead.  
  
Carrot muffins are disgusting. If you have the chance to escape them, do so immediately.  
  
Conversation was slow this morning, what with James being gruntish and Mr. Potter working, and me trying my best to swallow the food without gagging.  
  
"Need anything particular today, dear?" Mippy asked from behind her magazine. I hope she doesn't notice the articles I cut out.  
  
Assuming she was addressing me (James's head was pillowed upon a half-bitten muffin) I responded, "Can't think of a thing, Mippy. Could you pass me the sugar?"  
  
She smiled at me from above her magazine and slid the sugar across the table. "How are the muffins? I thought up the recipe myself."  
  
"Great," I replied with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. Oh, no. When sugar doesn't help, you know you're in trouble.  
  
"Oh, good," Mippy replied happily. She set down her magazine and took a muffin from the basket, to try one herself. She took a great old chomp, and I watched sadly as Mippy's face contracted and her nose wrinkled in disgust. After elegantly spitting it out right back into her coffee, she dabbed her mouth with a napkin and looked up at me. "Well I think we ought to stick to blueberry, how about you?"  
  
"Good thinking," I responded, gladly shoving my plate away. Reaching across the table, I lifted James's head up and slid the plate out from under, letting it drop back down with a thump.  
  
"Hey," James complained, rubbing his head gingerly. Good, the drop must've knocked  
the Troll out of him.  
  
"Go on and get dressed now," Mippy hurried James out of his chair and shooed him  
towards the stair-case. "We've got a lot of shopping to do today." 

"Shopping?" James and I whined simultaneously.

"Yes, _shopping_," Mippy mocked our belly aching, placing a hand on each of our shoulders and guiding us forward. "We have to get your school-books, of course, make a stop at Gladrags-"

"Gladrags?" James scrunched up his face. The expression really isn't becoming, mental note to let him know. "Why are we going to Gladrags? Our robes are fine."

Mippy crossed her arms. "Well sure, but I think your ankles might get a bit chilly in the wintertime."

James and I glanced down at our feet. "Huh," I mumbled thoughtfully, inspecting the vast space between my socks and robe bottom. "When did that happen?"

* * *

"Are too." 

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am _not_."

"You're not what, dear?" Mippy asked absently, handing us each several books and stacks of fresh parchment.

"In love," I said quickly, dodging James as he lunged towards me. "He's in denial, Mippy. I think we oughta knock some sense into him."

Mippy's face went pink with excitement. "In _love_? Oh James, it seems like only yesterday-"

"I'm not in love!" James exclaimed from the dusty ground of Flourish and Blotts. He really needs to work on his lunging accuracy.

"Sure you are," I side-stepped in front of him to stand before his blissfully interrogating mother. "I've even got proof. You know that article was recommended by the top three-"

"I can't wait to tell your father-"

"Are you even listening to me?! I'm not-"

"Strutsburger is a _highly_ acclaimed author-"

"What does she look like? Is she nice? Oh, I'll bet she's a doll-"

"That article's stupid, Strutshisface doesn't have a clue what he's-"

"There!" I brushed past James and pointed out the shop's large window. "It's her," I mock sighed dreamily and pointed Mippy in Lily's direction. "There's James's true and inevitable love."

"Oh," Mippy uttered, covering her mouth with a cupped hand of surprise. "She's just as I would've expected her to be."

"Mum," James cradled a weary head in his hands. "I'm not in love- not even platonic! It's simple, I despise her very existence and in turn she holds a spurning loath for me."

Spurning loath. I noted that distinctly in my mind- if I'm not mistaken it's an _exact _quote from the article.

"Well that's not very polite, dear," Mippy chided, her gaze still fixed on Lily. She reluctantly broke it away. "You two head off to Gladrags and let Madame Jemscins collect your measurements. I'm going to stop at Gringotts and I'll meet you back over there in a bit."

We started out of the book store. "You're such a git," James announced as we exited the ringing doorway. "Mum's never going to let me hear the end of it, you know that don't you?"

"'Course," I grinned. "That's what makes it so fun."

James grumbled some indecent words as we started down the busy street. I looked to my right to see if Lily was still by the store, but regrettably she had disappeared into the crowd.

"Well, it's all right," I sighed heavily, patting James hard on the back. "I understand, mate."

James turned to look at me. "Understand what?"

I rolled my eyes, verbalizing the obvious. "Why you won't admit your undying love for Lily."

Steam practically rolled out of James's ears. I sighed again. James was _so_ easy to bother. "I do not-"

"Well aren't you wondering _why_?"

James closed his eyes briefly. "Fine, Sirius. Why won't I admit my undying love?" he asked tonelessly.

"Because," I responded brightly. "She'd never go with you."

James looked a bit taken aback by my reply. "Wouldn't go with me?" he laughed. "I could have her eating out of my hands within an hour, if I wanted to."

"Right," I scoffed.

"I could," James protested.

"Could not,"

"Could to," he persisted further.

I rolled my eyes. "Could not."

"Could to,"

"Could to," I said quickly.

"Could not,"

"Ha!" I exclaimed triumphantly. "See, even _you're_ saying you couldn't."

"What- I," James nearly growled in frustration. "Well you know what I _meant_. I could get Evans any way, and day, any-"

"Fine," I gripped his shoulders and turned him in the other direction. "There she is, go work that Potter charm."

James's eyes searched the crowd, but then widened with understanding when they fell upon the unmistakable Lily Evans. He nodded and smirked slightly, before squaring his shoulders and striding forward. "Fine," he called over his shoulder. "You just wait and see."

I followed James, at a safe and reasonable distance, of course, until he finally came to a stop at the back of a chatting Lily.

"Did you still want to pick up those trinkets for your sister?" Lily was asking Julie Taylor, as she shifted large bags (filled with books, no doubt) from one arm to the other. "Because I was thinking-"

"Evans," James cut in smoothly, poking a toothily grinning head in-between Lily and Julie.

Lily scowled at the interruption. "What do you want?" she asked, looking less than pleased to see him.

"Well," James raised his elbow and rested it on her shoulder. He'd better be careful- I don't think she's above biting it off. "I've got a taste for ice cream and," he shook his head in what I'm guessing he thought to be a sexy manner. "I thought I'd let you join me."

This is the very first time I've ever witnessed Lily Evans speechless. Actually quite nice.

"What?" she asked stupidly.

James grinned and gestured to her, and then back to himself. "You, me, ice cream shop."

I worried about Lily's psychological state as she began to laugh in a scarily insane fashion. "I have to give you credit, Potter," she said, "for once one of your jokes is actually funny."

James shook his head. "Not a joke, Evans. Now I know this may seem like a dream-"

"Not a joke?" she interrupted, staring at him strangely. "But-"

"Yeah," James leaned back and gave me a fleeting glance of triumph. "So are you ready?"

Lily's eyes widened in what, to me, appeared as wondrous astonishment. "You mean, you- you're actually asking me _out_?"

"Yes. Hard to fathom, eh?"

Lily stared back unblinkingly at James; she looked him up and down in the rare seconds of silence, before bursting out into giggles and glancing over at Julie. "I can't believe it- I just, I-," she bit her lip and pushed her hair back self-consciously. "I don't know what to say..."

Oh, I'm good. Are my perceptional skills fantastic or what?

James flashed a showy grin, making a big motion of draping his arm over her shoulder. "Yes, I know. My incredible- ow! Did you- you just _bit _me!"

Uh-oh...

Lily spit over in James's direction. "Yes," she wiped her mouth. "And your arm germs are particularly disgusting." She roughly removed James's wounded limb from around her neck and shuddered. "Just like the rest of you, you _pig_. Did you actually think I... Oh you're _so vain_-,"

"You _bit_ me!?"

"And stupid," she corrected, "you're vain and stupid."

James scowled indignantly. "I am not!" he exhaled angrily. "Now, are you coming to get ice cream or not?"

Lily stared back, her face expressionless. "I thought you said you weren't stupid."

* * *

A/N: One word. 

_Finally_

But be forewarned, the Evans and Potter action has only just begun.

Muhahaha...

One more A/N: Thanks for all the incredible reviews! Grace's perspective next, one more (can you guess which?) and then the next real chapter, in which I'll respond to all of your reviews. : )


	45. The Priceless Perspective of a FreeSpiri...

A/N: I have this problem with time.

See I had this whole 'update every three days' thing under control, but then I realized my week long field trip for government might just hinder that a bit. So since my beta's coming on the trip with me (yay!) Dulcis has been kind enough to upload this for me. James's will have to come after my trip, sorry about that : (

Thanks for all those super-incredible-awesome-someonepinchmecauseIthinkI'mdreaming reviews... You really don't know how much they brighten my week. : ) Hehe, I think people just like Sirius.

* * *

_Grace:_

I's three in the morning."  
  
"I know," I agreed happily, adrenaline pumping brilliantly through my veins. "Isn't it great?"  
  
"'Well... that's not _exactly_ the word I had in mind."  
  
"Oh get up you lug," I dropped onto Remus's bed and bounced up and down on my knees. "You _said_ you were more of a morning person."  
  
Remus groaned and wearily lifted his head. Even in the pitch black room his eyes shone with skepticism. He worries _way _too much.  
  
"Remus," I reasoned, "I'm up, you're up, the air is fresh and you promised you'd participate in Spontaneous Day. So c'mon, up and at 'em!"  
  
He rubbed his eyes and cleared his throat to rid of the sleep induced grogginess. "Up and at who, exactly?"  
  
"There's my Remus, always asking questions." I pat his head fondly. "Now let's go," the pat turned into a smack as I grabbed him underneath the elbow and dragged him out from under the covers.  
  
"All right," he mumbled, searching blindly on the dresser top for his glasses. I spotted the thin frames and handed them to him. After placing them on he gave a little bounce on the mattress and sprung up beside me. "Here," he said, opening a small drawer in his nightstand and handing me a piece of parchment. "I've made us an agenda. I was thinking about it, and-"

"You made an agenda?"

Remus glanced up from the parchment. "Yes; now it's up to you if you'd rather start with-"

"You made an agenda," I repeated slowly, "for Spontaneous Day?"

Remus gave a feeble smile. "Well if we don't know what we're going to do..."

I folded my arms reprovingly. "Tear it up."

"But..." Remus protested, gazing up at me with forlorn puppy dog eyes. Unfortunately for him; I'm more of a cat person.

"Remus," I stared pointedly between him and the parchment. "Tear up the agenda."

He gave a piteous sigh, before squinting his eyes shut and holding up the parchment. With a loud and ceremonious tear the agenda was ripped in two jagged pieces.

"There," I smiled broadly at his achievement. "Doesn't that feel better?"

"Not really," he said, lifting a finger to his face and inspecting it. "I think I got a paper cut."

* * *

I peered over at Remus from behind my lopsided tower, watching as he smoothed the edge of an arch, before absently itching his nose and smearing a bit of dirt across it.

In an excellent bout of luck Mother Nature had showered down some rain in the wee hours before Remus and I had awoken, leaving a great hill of mud for us to create castles out of. See, even _she's_ in the spontaneous mood.

Remus sighed as his relentless efforts had no effect on the bumpy surface of the tower. I marveled at his perfectionism. You wouldn't think one individual person could be as painstakingly precise as he, but aside from a terribly messy dormitory (a conundrum that boggles my mind still to this day), he's neater than five astrophysicists put together. And astrophysicists are very orderly, let me tell you. My uncle's one and he color codes his towels to correspond the chronological order of the tide. In _Antarctica._

Remus's distinct bout of soft laughter sounded from behind a huge glob of mud. "What are you laughing at?" I inquired in a mock offended voice.

"Well," he began, wiping away a stray strand of hair off his forehead and effectively streaking more mud across it. "I was going to ask what you're going to do with those round orange things, but then I just figured you'd use it for a miniature fence or chimneys, or something of that sort."

"Mmm, no actually," I said, scooping up a couple of the 'round orange things'. "These are Tic-Tacs. Here, take one," I grinned. "Put one in your mouth and get a bang out of life."

Remus picked the mint up hesitantly. "A bang out of life? It doesn't explode, does it?"

"Nah, it's muggle." I paused a moment as he inspected the Tic-Tac, before he finally popped it into his mouth. "Unless of course someone mixed Clorox and Paprika in it."

Remus pulled an adorable look of worry, rolling the mint around his tongue as if rapidly examining it. "Don't worry," I assured. "The probability of that is very unlikely."  
  
Remus gave a weak smile in response. We worked a few more minutes in silence, before I inevitably grew tired of the event and stood up to declare I was finished. Remus stood up too, smiling at my makeshift pine curtains and top-of-the-notch bridge, complete with a plastic fork lift and pebble lined moat.

"Okay," I announced, wiping my mud caked hands onto blue plaid pajama bottoms. "We've cooked up a mess in the kitchen, watched a bit of Bambi, and investigated my vegetable garden. It's your turn to choose something to do. And don't forget," I waved my hand lavishly, "_spontaneous_."

* * *

"Remus this is not very spontaneous."

"Sure it is," Remus encouraged, nodding enthusiastically. "Go on, I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

I eyed the different piles of rocks, one plain and one speckled. "Er..."

Remus raised a brow knowingly. "This _is_ spontaneous, you know."

"Oh?" I asked skeptically.

Remus gave a swift nod before returning to his rock assortments. "Well you weren't expecting to separate rocks into different species and classes, according to geneses and classifications of the 19th century, were you?

"No," I shook my head. "I most certainly was not."

"Well there you go," he flicked a dirt spot off a particularly large rock, "that's spontaneous, isn't it?"

I resigned and kneeled down onto the soft grass beside him, sliding a speckled rock into the pile with my foot. "All right... but next time _I'm_ choosing the event."

After we were done with the rock sorting, which, admittedly, was more fun than anticipated, I settled for taking a leisurely walk to the gazebo out back. Remus was excited about the seemingly placid idea, so I decided not to tell him it was in the middle of construction and all sorts of animals had burrowed into it, including a species that- I'm not quite sure- might possibly be lethal.

"Oh," Remus's mumble broke the tranquil silence. "I almost forgot; remind me when we go back upstairs, I er- brought something for you."

"Really?" I asked curiously. "What is it?"

"Mum had some extra Pumpkin Patties," he said, "and she knows they're your favorite, so she told me to bring you a batch."

"Oh good," I answered happily, as I dodged a patch of questionable looking grass. A thought struck me, sending a smile to inch across my lips. "You talk about me at home then, eh?"

"No," Remus answered a little too quickly.

I arched a brow. "Well you talk about me enough for her to know I like Pumpkin Patties," I pointed out.

Remus folded his arms. "That's a very common topic."

"Sure," I giggled. "If- ayck!" I screamed as an unidentified monster hurdled into me, its horrible claws grinding against one another and looming, closer and closer, until I could clearly see its fangs and-

"Huh," I heard Remus comment beside me.

"What?" I turned to him, panting and breathless.

He was so calm... _How_ could he be so calm when a gigantic creature was about to bring us to our doomed, twisted fates? "Well," he shrugged an irritatingly calm shoulder. "I just never knew you were afraid of owls."

I paused in my insane swatting to look over at him. "Owls?"

"Well that is what you're screaming at."

I looked over my shoulder and did indeed view a harmless carrier owl. "That's not what I was screaming about," I bent the truth a bit. "There was a- um, bee! Yes, yes there was a bee in my shoe, and I was screaming because I'm deathly allergic."

"A bee in your shoe?" Remus questioned.

I nodded gravely. "There might've even been two."

Remus peered down at my feet. My stupid, bare feet. "But you're not wearing any-"

"The lake!" I shouted suddenly.

Remus glanced sideways at me. "Uh huh... What about it? 

"Well we're going to go swimming, of course," I stated the obvious.  
  
Remus smiled wryly. "Of course."  
  
---  
  
"Oh... Oh my... Oh...."  
  
I took in a bunch of lake water and spouted it out at him. "Come on in, the water's  
great!"  
  
Remus scratched his head nervously, tugging at the waistband of his sunshine  
embellished boxers. "Aren't there specimens? And the bacteria count's not even close to  
the general board of safety's code and-"  
  
"Fine," I sighed. "Don't come in." Remus brightened, so I added, "But I'm going to stay  
under water until you do." Before he had time to respond I inhaled deeply and ducked to  
sit on the shallow bottom. I knew Remus; it'd take barely a second for him to jump in  
now.  
  
Any second...  
  
My lungs are beginning to ache..  
  
Any second now...  
  
Great, nice to know I have a boyfriend that cares more about germ counts than me dying.  
Well, at least I'll go a decent way, although I do wish Id've eaten more lasagna at  
dinner, and one last taste of chocolate would've been nice. My _Word_, it's been an entire  
minute, at least. I can see it, the white light's calling to me, compelling-  
  
I felt my body being jerked up suddenly, two pale hands pulling me up to the water's  
surface and away from the gnawing hands of death.  
  
Sputtering water right into Remus's face, I arched a brow and shook my head slowly.  
"Thanks for hurrying. I was a whole two seconds away from biting the dust."  
  
"I-" Remus started.  
  
"Kicking the bucket."  
  
"You-"  
  
"Buying the farm."  
  
"Sorry," Remus said quickly, before I could interject with another little quirky quip.  
Good thing, too; those were the only sayings I could think of. "I just, I..." his face  
reddened slightly, even noticeable in the dark. "I can't swim," he informed me in a  
whisper.  
  
I'm an awful person.  
  
"Oh gosh Remus, why didn't you tell me?" For the first time I noticed he was struggling,  
even in the shallow water we were currently standing in. "I'm really sorry... Here, this  
bank's plenty big for us to sit on." I grabbed his hand and pulled him up to a slippery  
strip of muddy land, before surveying him with concern. "Are you all right?"  
  
He laughed lightly, running a hand through drenched sandy brown locks. "Yes, but I think I  
swallowed about three gallons of that disgusting water."  
  
"That's all right, it's good for you," I said, absently squishing the mud between my  
fingertips and carving a pattern beside me. "You sure you're okay?"  
  
He stared at me with a grave expression. "No. I don't think I'm going to make it."  
  
I smirked and punched his shoulder playfully. "I'm only being compassionate."  
  
As Remus yelped I realized the cool mud I had been puttering with had mistakenly  
landed on his shoulder. I giggled and swiped a little more at him with my toes.  
Remus made a noise of distaste and cowered back.

"Oh come on," I said. "Remember, Remus; Spontaneous:(adjective) acting, reacting, or happening without apparent forethought or prompting.  
We've gone through an entire day and you are still acting, reacting, and happening with  
very apparent forethought and prompting." I sighed. "Spontaneous Day didn't much of  
an affect on you, did it?"

"What do you mean?" Remus crossed his arms indignantly. "I happen to think I was _very_  
spontaneous."

"Sorry Remus," I shook my head sadly. "Burning toast just isn't very impulsive."

"Well, now sure it is-"

"And you wouldn't even _touch_ that snakeishy spidermabob."

"Sure but, the rocks..."

"All in all, you gave it your best shot," I heaved a heavy sigh. "As long as you gave it all  
you've got, well that's just the best you can do, so I suppose that's all that matters, but  
maybe next time you could try to let all of the rules go, and let your soul guide you,  
Remus, your _soul_, not your mind... Wild, careless, quixotic, unpredictable, that's the way to be,  
just free and independent of common sense; there's still time, and possibly still hope, but  
for now, you-"

Remus's lips abruptly cut me off.

My train of thought dissolved and I felt myself weaken beneath his resolute grasp, which at  
the moment I didn't care or notice was placed oddly on either side of my head. His lips  
tasted like lake and his suddenness and determination caused them to press much too hard  
against mine, but it was perfect all the same.

Time passed in a blur and before I knew it he was pulling away and opening his eyes  
wide to stare into my own. "Well..." he began hesitantly, "spontaneous enough for you?"

"Mgrph."

...Was that just _me _making such a pitiful utterance? Grace Shadron couldn't possibly  
get so flustered she's rendered speechless... Could she?

By the way Remus is grinning, yes.

I cleared my throat, took a slow and steady breath, and successfully regained my cool.  
"Mgrph."

Blast it.

Remus's eyes shone before me, dancing jovially against the fading night. "I'll take that as  
a yes, then?"

* * *

Hey everybody! Dulcis here. As the temporary beta of STBY, I'd like to say a few words...Ok, I'll admit, any excuse to talk. Read MY story! While it's not an astonishing literary work like our dear Eye's of Emerald's, it's a two chapter start. READ IT. The revised version. Thanks for listening to my shameless Ballyhoo. STBY ROCKS! We should have buttons.

Review!


	46. The Notions and Beliefs of a Reasonably ...

A/N: I could give an abundance of reasons why I haven't updated within a reasonable amount of time, like I went on a class trip, was beaten down by math homework and am doing miserable in physics, had a recent increase in after-school activities and creative writing homework, worked an unbearable amount… but I won't. I don't want to seem like I'm making excuses, or anything.

* * *

_James_

I'd like to think I'm a reasonably handsome guy.

My nose is just right, any color besides turquoise makes my complexion look simply smashing, and my mum practically swears by my right dimple. Not to mention the way my naturally messy hair adds pizzazz and a subtle rebellious flare to my overall delectable appearance.

So logically, technically, and even metaphorically, any girl would be delighted to have me, right?

Wrong.

Lily Evans. Correction, Lily–no-good-suck-up-holier-than-thou-grotesque-when-she-glares-hardly-a-sense-of-humor-alright-smile-don't-mind-her-in-a-skirt-nice-laugh-witty-and-mind-rapturing-eyes-you-could-get-lost-in-great-legs-cute-sprinkle-of-freckles-across-the-bridge-of-her- er… Where was I going with this?

I'm so very, very confused.

You know, this is all Sirius's fault. Before he had to go on and instigate this whole thing I had a perfectly healthy relationship with her. I taunted her, she snapped at me, I imagined her in nothing but mashed potatoes, she called me a prick… it worked out all fine and dandy.

That was back when I still thought she would succumb to my irresistible manliness at the first tiny sign of affection.

Though, I must admit. I thought being turned down by my sworn enemy would be the worst thing that could ever happen to me. Wrong again.

"You know James, everyday pursuits and leisurely activities play a big part in one's decision process."

Because right now,

"For goodness sake's, honey, she could enjoy knitting just as much as you enjoy Quidditch! You're a special boy, really."

I'm listening to a rejection speech from my mother.

Which I'm just barely enduring, by the way. The only thing getting me through it is imagining Sirius is various forms of medieval torture.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, James?" Mum questioned, pushing aside a rowdy lock of my hair.

"Sure," I nodded with as much enthusiasm I could muster. "So ah, are we done yet?"

Mum frowned. "I don't know… I'm still worried she's damaged my precious-,"

"All right mum," I hurried to swat away her overly-endearing hand. "I'm fine, really, I know I'm uh," I gulped and hastily uttered the words, "special boy, and that anything anyone says or does to me will not affect or hinder my er, specialness." My eyes darted in self-consciousness as I spoke the discreditable words.

My mother sighed and reached out a hand to absently flatten my hair. "Well if you're sure, dear." I forced a grin and stood up, shaking her hand off my head.

"Positive mum," I announced, and watched as she reluctantly rose up beside me. Finally after a tight hug and a worrisome glance, she left the room, calling over her shoulder to come down to dinner in five minutes, if I was feeling up to it.

Honestly.

---

I stirred the steaming broth in front of me, allowing the warm condensation to hit my face as I watched the noodles and flecks of pepper twist into one another. One would normally think a blazing bowl of soup would be best on a blistery winter day, but contrary to the warm temperature outside, the cooling charms my dad had cast around the house had gained so much momentum that we might have very well been living in the artic.

I looked over to my left at my dad's empty place setting. I'd have to remind mum to let him know when he got home, I'd fix it myself if the ridiculous rules of underage wizards hadn't been in place.

"Ministry today?" I questioned, glancing over at my mum. Her eyes flicked up from her buttered roll, before looking between my father's chair and I. She nodded.

"Queries called him in this morning," she informed me, after peering at the calendar that lay across the side of the cabinet. "He-," she cut off abruptly as her eyes fell upon a bright orange filing folder. "Oh no," she picked up the folder and leafed through it, frowning. "Your father must've forgotten this; he's been working on the Etchingson case for nearly a week, and I do believe they're meeting today."

"I'll bring it to him," I volunteered quickly, wiping the remnants of soup off my lips with the back of my robe sleeve and screeching my chair out from under me. "I'll bet I can still make it," I checked the time, "It's not even six yet."

"Oh," mum flipped the folder over, as if deliberating its importance. Finally she nodded, handing it across the table. "But hurry dear, and don't forget your ID, it's over there in the-"

My mum didn't get a chance to finish her sentence, because by the time she had I was already outside, broom in one hand and ID in the other. I mounted my trustySupernova450 and bent my knees in preparation for flight, glancing up at my destination and gripping the expertly waxed handle.

"'Ello!"

"Argh!" I stumbled and fell off my broomstick at the sudden and highly unexpected interruption. I didn't even have to look up to see who was hovering above me.

"Merlin James," Sirius stared down at me, crossing his arms and shaking a humored face in disapproval. "If you're frightened of your best mate, how in the world are you going to fend off all those crooked monsters? You want to be an auror, don't you?"

I stood up and brushed patches of dirt off my robe. "Hardly a difference between you and those crooked monsters. You've got the same expression as those puffer-fish, you know that?"

Sirius grinned and shook his hair. "Yes, but they don't have lustrous black hair and dashing gray eyes that sparkle in whatever you light you muster, do they?"

I swung a leg around my broomstick and checked my inside pocket to make sure the folder was still in place. "No, don't suppose they do," I agreed absently. After checking to see everything was in order, I looked up at Sirius. "I've got to bring this to my dad, you wanna come?"

Sirius accepted the offer as I knew full well he would, considering both the facts that he had shown up unexpectedly in my front yard- a sure sign his parents were being horrid again, not that they ever weren't, just more horrid than usual- and the relatable desire he and I both held for any chance of excitement.

Within minutes we were up in the air, the excitement of flying flowing through me as it always did, wind blowing through my hair, and… Sirius complaining behind me.

"I still don't see why you got to sit up front," he griped, and tightened his grasp deliberately as we dodged a particularly large cumulus cloud. "I could've just taken my own broom."

I shook my shoulders as hard as I could without losing my balance. "You're choking me," I said, picking up a hand to swat at his purposely tight clutch on my robes.

Sirius grumbled behind me. "Well would you rather me grab you round the belly, eh mate?"

I paused and stopped wiggling. "No."

"That's what I thought," Sirius said, pulling my robes tighter once again. I still say he's doing it on purpose. "And don't think I didn't notice you changing the subject," he continued. "About me not taking my own broom? I know your plans, James; you've always been the domineering one-,"

"There wouldn't have been enough time," I told him. "Dad's meeting could be over any minute."

Sirius resigned with a sigh and loosened his grip a bit, but I swear I could hear him mutter "Some excuse" under his breath.

About ten minutes later I spotted our destination. "There it is," I pointed out a shabby and forlorn brick building. "No muggles around, right?"

Some foosawhatsit game was going on nearby that attracted most of the muggles, and that along with an unnecessarily high flying altitude was most likely the only reason mum had let me fly here. I also have a sneaking suspicion she knows about the invisibility cloak.

"Better get it on just in case," Sirius said, scanning the dusty London streets. "I think I see something moving right over there."

I agreed and pulled out my faithful cloak, letting it fall over Sirius, the broomstick and finally myself. We had to curl up our feet so they wouldn't fall beneath the hem, and in this awkward position lowered between two scruffy buildings.

I wrapped the invisibility cloak around my broomstick and rested it beside an overflowing dumpster, checking and double-checking to see no one was around. Once I was satisfied, we hurried down the road and only slowed down when we reached the familiar red phone box.

I pulled open the door and waited until Sirius crammed in beside me to pick up the phone. After scanning it briefly I reached out a finger to hover above the dial.

"What're you doing?" Sirius cut in before I had a chance to dial the first number. "That's not what it is."

I glanced over at Sirius from above the telephone. "Sure it is, six-two-four-four-two," I said, "trust me, I've been here nearly a dozen times-,"

"No, no, you've got it all wrong," Sirius pushed his way past me, "here, let me do it."

"No way," I struggled to stay in my spot. "When have you even been here?"

"Just last Sunday," Sirius replied in a nonchalant tone, "You obviously don't get invited to have brunch with the Minister, I see."

Sirius took advantage of my break in the struggle as I stared stupidly at his unforeseen reply, and pushed in front of me, dialing several numbers on the phone.

"You're crazy," I declared, stepping back to my rightful spot and dialing the number I'm sure is correct. "Now move out of the way."

Sirius fought back and we switched off, him dialing a few numbers and then me regaining control and dialing several of my own.

"Move," I grumbled, as Sirius swatted at my hands.

"I'm positive this is right-,"

"How could you even know-,"

"I'm highly perceptive; don't you remember…" Sirius trailed off in his inane excuse as an odd rumble began to shake the box, an eerie red glow slowly forming across the booth's edges. Sirius looked over at me. "Uh-oh…"

Uh-oh indeed. The red walls seemed to cave in as if the gangly old booth was sucking in a trembling deep breath, as the glow grew more and more prominent. The walls had squeezed us so tight that my cheek was pressed up to a highly awkward position on Sirius's forehead, until finally the whole thing seemed to let out a great old sneeze that sent us both barreling out of the traveling apparatus.

I pressed a shaky hand against the ground to act as leverage and pushed myself up. Looking dazedly over at Sirius, I saw he had been crumpled up beneath a bush and had just begun to make his way out. Spotting me, he shook his head slowly. "Look what you did."

I gulped down a response; there wasn't time for any nasty retorts, if we didn't hurry my father might not get his papers on time. "Would you just come on?" I begged. "And please, let me do the dialing."

Sirius groaned but reluctantly complied, following me into the booth that now appeared to be back to normal. I lifted a finger to dial the first number. "'Ah ah," I heard Sirius criticize behind me. I rolled my eyes and continued to dial. "Yes, yes, there you go." I released the wheel and went to dial the next number. "Ah, best dial that- ah, yes, yes, that's the one," Sirius continued behind me. I ignored him and dialed the remaining five digits (No, oh yes, there you go… Uh-huh, uh-huh, that's the one… Don't forget- ah yes, now you've got it) until the familiar woman's voice droned beside us.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

I released a heavy breath of relief, glad to hear the voice and not be internally combusted. "James Potter and Sirius Black," I said. "We're-,"

"Ooh, ooh," Sirius cut in before I had the chance to finish. "Say something exciting, like Voyagers of the Lost Artic, or ooh, how about-,"

"Thank you," the woman said. "Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

I gritted my teeth and looked back at Sirius as the badges rattled down the change chute. "If it says Voyagers of the Lost Artic, I swear…"

"Oh pity, that's not what it says," Sirius said dismally, inspecting the badges. Upon reading it, he pulled a face. "Ooh Ooh?"

"Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

I didn't have time to hit Sirius upside the head because at that moment the telephone box began to shudder, and soon we were traveling through the earth and into the Ministry.

I hurried through the crowd of witches and wizards, practically sprinting to catch the ever-moving golden lift. I heaved a sigh of relief as I entered just before the golden gates rattled shut, but then tensed as I viewed Sirius several feet away, chatting with a young girl that leaned against the doorframe of the International Magical Office of Law, probably someone's daughter here for a visit. From where I stood she appeared giggly and bored out of her mind- just Sirius's type. "Sirius!" I yelled, waving frantically to try and catch his attention.

Sirius looked up. "You go ahead, mate," he waved me on. Throwing a large wink at me, he continued, "I'll catch up with you in a bit."

I groaned and shook my head, but went on up without him all the same. When I finally reached level two, Istepped out andmade my way quickly down the door-lined hall, turned the usual corner and found myself in the bustling Auror Headquarters.

I weaved in-between chatting and laughing Aurors impatiently- didn't they know I had to _be_ somewhere?

"James!" a high-pitched voice penetrated through me.

"Oh bother," I muttered under my breath, and trying desperately to dodge what I knew was coming, I dived across the room and ducked underneath an abandoned desk.

"Jamsie sweetheart, you can't hide from me!" A ghastly woman with flat gray locks and the start of a mustache appeared in front of me, tapping gleefully on the desk and beckoning me forward with the waggle of her fingertips.

"H-hi Mrs. Welby," I smiled reluctantly, addressing my dad's secretary with as much enthusiasm I could stand. I keep telling him to get a real secretary- you know, the ones with the legs. "Oh," I suddenly remembered Mrs. Welby was still there. "Er, you're probably wondering why I'm under the desk…"

"Oh no, no dear, I understand," Mrs. Welby smiled broadly. "This office can be a very scary place for a young boy of your age."

"Right," I grunted.

"How old are you now, nine, ten?"

"Fifteen."

"Right, right dear," she waved a pudgy hand carelessly. A smile spread across her face and she let out an amiable giggle. I cringed, knowing what was going to happen next.

Sure enough, Mrs. Welby retrieved an all too familiar pocketbook, its contents spilling and seams nearly split. "Here we go," she said jubilantly, reaching in and pulling out a long row of pictures. "I bet you'd love to see my adorable nieces and nephews..."

"Really Mrs. Welby, I'd love to," I said hurriedly, peering over her. "But you see, I've got to catch my dad-,"

"Nonsense, dear," she ushered me towards a desk. "It'll only take a moment." She let the flap of her pocketbook drop open, allowing dozens and dozens of pictures to unravel. "Look here, that's Jennifer-,"

"I'm really sorry Mrs. Welby," I pulled the most genuine smile I could. "But I can't stay-,"

"Oh," Mrs. Welby looked up with me with bright eyes. "Oh, I see... Sorry, it's just, they've all moved away you see, and I don't ever see any little children like you, and..."

Before I knew it my dad's rather large secretary was sobbing heartily on my shoulder, her pictures draped pitifully over my other shoulder and matted gray hair bobbing up and down.

Not a second too late, I heard my father enter the room and step up to Mrs. Welby and I. "Okay now Rosemary," he spoke through gritted teeth, straining to maintain a friendly face as he began to pry at his secretary's fingers. "Time to let go now."

Mrs. Welby gave a sad, sobbing sigh and released her tight grasp. I didn't even care it sent me flying to the ground in a tangled heap, just as long as I was out of that frightening woman's hold.

"Well now, no need for the tears Mrs. Welby," my dad said, rolling his eyes at me from abovehis secretary's head. Normally he wouldn't be so unsympathetic, but seeing as Mrs. Welby's family moved just two streets away, the sobs were becoming a bit tiresome. He bent down to help me up. "That Etchingson case is really piling up, you know, better get it filed..." Mrs. Welby dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, nodded mournfully, and finally left the room.

His last words reminded me of the reason I was here. "Oh, dad," I said, reaching inside my robe pocket to retrieve the bright orange folder. "Is the meeting with Etchingson over? Cause mum found this and she said you needed it-,"

"Oy," my father exclaimed, reaching anxiously for the papers. He flipped through them, a smile growing on his face. "Thanks, James, I would've looked like a bloody fool without these."

"Ah, no problem," I said carelessly, leaning against the abandoned desk. "It- ugh!" The desk beneath me slid a couple of inches and caused me to trip, but luckily I stumbled right upon an empty chair.

My dad chuckled, and after I regained my composure I looked up and gave him a lopsided smile. "I meant to do that," I said, beginning to stand up.

"Wait a minute," my dad said, putting a hand on my shoulder to keep me sitting down. I watched curiously as he pulled up a chair beside me, and straddled it so he was leaning on the back two legs. "Well, son," he began slowly, pausing to clear his throat.

I raised a brow inquisitively. My dad rarely gets nervous… In fact, the only times I ever see him anything shy of confident is when Grandma comes over for Sunday brunch. "You all right, dad?"

"Mmm-hmm," he loosened his tie and leaned further back in the chair. "Well," he suddenly shook his head and decided to start over, reaching inside his pocket and crumpling something inside. A few seconds later he brought out a folded up piece of parchment, and brought it up to his face to give it another quick look over. "You see son, you're mother owled me this morning and told me you were ah," he cleared his throat again and squinted his eyes, reading straight from the letter. "'Distressed, wounded, suffering a severe heartache that she doesn't know you'll be able to come out of-,"

"Ugh dad, stop, please," I said hurriedly, snatching the letter from him. I scowled and crumpled it up, tossing it in a nearby garbage bin. "I'm not uh dis- not wou- well I'm not any of those things, so there's nothing at all to talk about."

The relief that spread across my dad's face very nearly matched mine. "Good, good, that's good," he said, thumping his hand roughly against my back. "Your mother," he chuckled. "Always over-exaggerating things."

"Yeah," I laughed too. "Makes such a big deal…"

I trailed off and crossed my arms, taking a sudden interest in a piece of dust floating down in front of me. Across from me my dad began chipping at the peeling wood of his chair, picking at it with the tip of his thumbnail. Just as I lost track of the tiny speck and began searching for another, my dad lifted his head up to look at me.

"I know, well, I know she's exaggerating a_ tremendous_ amount, but if you know, you want to talk about it…"

I shrugged. "Not much _too_ talk about. You watch, within a month Evans will be putty in my hands. Trust me, dad," I leaned backwards on the back two legs of my chair, "this'll be a piece of cake."

* * *

Of course the weekend I decided to update, the site decides to initiate a full-out recovery program. 

Well, this chapter didn't turn out at all like I hoped it would, but nevertheless...

I'm done! Finished! The chains of first POV are off and third POV back on. Started the next chapter while the site recovered itself, so the next wait won't be nearly as long. Thanks for reading!


	47. Fifth Year

Standing There By You

Ch. 47- Fifth Year

A/N: No, your eyes do not decieve you. I have actually updated... And it hasn't even been a month! Thanks for reading!

...To you too, Angiela! You rock, beta.

* * *

Julie shifted through her trunk, trying to keep it steady on the rack as the train rumbled beneath her. "Parcheesi?" 

Grace flicked a speck on her sweater in response, sighing and scooting further onto the bench. Lily smiled encouragingly at her Julie's endeavor, shrugging.

Julie rolled her eyes and put away the miniature board game. "Perfection?" she asked, popping back up several seconds later.

"No," Grace grumbled, knocking her head against the cool surface of the window. "Too… perky."

"All right," Julie said through gritted teeth, returning the game to the bottom of her trunk. She moved around some old robes and spare scarves. "Ooh, how about clackers?" she suggested, holding up an odd muggle device. She bounced the sparkling glass balls and clicked them together expertly.

Grace weakly lifted her head to glance at the peculiar contraption, before banging it back down again. "No thanks."

Julie set the muggle toy down with a groan. "Grace," she said, staring at her friend exasperatedly. "That's all I've got."

Grace frowned, lifting a shoulder. "Well, what're ya gonna do."

Both Lily and Julie groaned at this gloomy statement. Their commonly spirited friend had taken on an unusually dismal attitude since the start of the day; they had eventually been informed that the Quidditch team she had been rooting for lost in a dreadful match just that last weekend, and the aftermath's been, apparently, unbearably awful.

They had tried many methods in hopes of cheering her up, but as of yet they only appeared to be making things worse.

"Eagar's Elated Éclairs!" Lily whispered suddenly into Julie's ear, referring to the treats she had purchased in Diagon Alley. "Do you have any left?" Julie turned to her friend and smiled slightly, nodding her head in response. Digging through her belongings once more, she brandished a tub of the ever-lasting éclairs, and retrieved some hurriedly before Grace had a chance to view the label.

"What're those?" Grace asked loftily, just as Julie smashed the container back into her trunk.

Julie peered sideways at Lily. "Just some… chocolates." She looked back at Grace. "Want some?"

Grace shrugged a slender shoulder and lazily lifted her palm. "Sure, I guess."

Julie gladly piled on three or four éclairs, patting the top gently and then pushing them towards Grace. "Eat up!"

Lily muttered a silent protest, but before she could say anything their downhearted friend gobbled down a good portion of the sweets.

"What's wrong?" Julie whispered to a very wide-eyed Lily. "The more the better, right?"

Lily chewed her lip. "Not when half of one's enough to cheer a pair of trolls."

---

"One of our own," Sirius said, all somber-like and solemn. "One of our own…"

James sighed and rested an elbow on his best mate's shoulder. "It's always the ones you least expect."

"Yeah," Peter agreed, looking somber as well, though noticeably a tad confused. "True tragedy, really."

Remus eyed his friends' gloomy positions, Peter sulking in a corner, James draped dramatically across the compartment's bench, and Sirius hunched over, sighing miserably.

Remus sighed as well. "Shove off, would you?"

James straightened up and leaned across the aisle. "Well how're we supposed to act, eh? 'Specially after finding out you're one of _them_."

Sirius frowned reprovingly. "And we thought we knew you."

Remus rolled his eyes at the accusing tone, before looking down and straightening the polished badge he had neatly pinned to his robes. "You're making too big a deal out of it."

"Oh," Sirius said dramatically, holding his heart and falling against James. "See how he- he- _flaunts_ that symbol of doom."

James covered his face. "I can't look."

Remus hid a small smirk at his friends' melodramatic performances. "Fine," he said in defeat, joining in on the mighty stretch of a show. "Would it help if I hid the badge?"

His friends each nodded somberly from their strange positions. "All right then," he said slowly, unclasping the gold pin. "The Pre-,"

"No!" Sirius shouted, holding up his hands to hush Remus. "Don't utter that cursed word in here."

Remus stared back at him for a few moments, before finally releasing a sigh of assent and gazed down, in search of another word. "Okay… I'll put my er-," he looked back at Sirius. "Well what am I supposed to call it?"

Sirius didn't hesitate a moment. "Call it jam. Definitely jam."

Peter looked dreamy. "I like jam."

James, however, did not share their enthusiasm. "You can't just _tarnish_ the name of jam."

"Ah, right," Sirius agreed, looking thoughtful. "How abouttuna, then?"

James nodded his head. "All right," he confirmed. "Tuna it is."

Remus gave an amiable smile. "Whatever will make you lot shut up."

James returned his grin and reached over, picking up the abandoned pin and holding it against his gold and scarlet striped tie. "You know, this gives me that sort of manly, intelligent manifestation, doesn't it?"

Sirius tilted his head, studying him. "Yeah, I reckon it does."

Remus turned away from them and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small wooden case. "Up for a game of gobstones? Grace lent me her travel-sized set."

Peter nodded excitedly. "I've been practicing."

"Right then," James said, getting up. "I'm off to go find Evans."

Remus nearly knocked the tiny board over and Peter almost swallowed his game piece. "What?" they asked dubiously.

James raised a brow, wondering about but not mentioning Peter's accident with the game piece. "That's right," he said, grabbing his tossed cloak and throwing them a grin. "My Potter charm feels especially vibrant today."

Remus and Peter looked at one another, and then back at James. "What?"

Sirius stood up before James could speak. "Allow me to explain," he began, walking towards his friends and gesturing to James. "This fine chap has finally recognized his undying love for-,"

"Well let's not go that far," James swiftly interrupted. "Well, Evans and I, we've gone this far competing, with grades and such, and I've always come out on top." He looked around at his friends and grinned. "Let's just say I'd like to keep it that way." James turned to glare at Sirius, who had presently begun snickering. "And I will. You'll see."

"All right, mate," Sirius encouraged, clasping his friend on the back. "Go for it."

James winked, turning towards the door. "I plan to."

---

"My Word," Lily uttered, clasping her hands tightly around her head. "Do you think she'll ever shut up?"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Grace sang loudly, in notes of baritone, tenor, and soprano, accordingly; the ecstatic éclairs were beginning to have quite an affect on her.

Julie moaned and drew her knees up to her face. "Does that answer your question?"

"Grace," Lily ventured, leaning over the aisle and placing a hand on her presently frenetic friend's shoulder. "Take a breath… Calm down…"

"It's too late," Julie shook her head dolefully, gazing over Grace as she stood up and lifted her hands to the ceiling. "She's started up that polka rendition of 'White Christmas', again."

"Left, right, _hop_, left right…" Grace bounced by, dancing with an invisible Bing Crosby and not caring her shins were banging into the luggage.

"Well…" Lily began, subtly standing up. "I better get to my Prefect meeting..."

"Oh no you don't," Julie said quickly, scrambling up beside Lily. "You can't leave me alone with her!"

She gestured to Grace, who was currently apologizing to Bing for stepping on his toes. Lily cringed. "I won't be gone for long."

"Merlin, Evans. And I thought _you_ were barmy."

Lily looked up, and to her dismay, but admittedly not surprise, found her eyes to rest upon the depressingly familiar face of James Potter. "I didn't ask your opinion," she said with an unconcerned wave of her hand. She did, however, notice his horribly unkempt look with a scoff of disgust. His collar was half turned up and his tie loosened, one shoe-lace undone and his hair… well that wasn't anything new. The only thing that looked remotely distinguishable was the gold pin attached to his robes. "You'd think you would at least _try_ to look presentable, as a Prefect after ah ah ah…" Her jaw dropped open as she stuttered out the last several words, her face paling quite quickly and dangerously.

"_YOU'RE PREFECT_!" she exclaimed in a volume her friends hadn't known she was capable of.

"Ugh, Lily," Julie said, covering her ears with a pained look on her face.

"Honestly," James admonished, crossing his arms. "Downright rude if you ask me."

Lily paid them no mind. "Give me that," she demanded, reaching for the pin attached to James's robes.

James stepped back teasingly. "Sure," he said, covering the borrowed badge. "Come and get it."

Lily didn't hesitate. "Fine," she said, grabbing onto the badge and tugging at it. She gave a huff of achievement as she held the shimmering pin up high between her thumb and forefinger.

"Hey!" James exclaimed, looking down at the robes where the pin was previously fastened, and a large rip now lay. "Those were new!"

Lily ignored him as she inspected the badge, searching for any feigned authenticity. Coming to the saddening conclusion it was indeed valid, she tossed it back at him, purposely missing by three feet and hitting his forehead. "Dumbledore must be mad," she shook her head, her words faint with disbelief. "Making an idiot like you Prefect?"

"You're right," Sirius spoke up, poking his head into the compartment. "'Course James isn't Prefect."

Lily let out an audible sigh of relief as James shot his friend a glare. Sirius shook his head at James and muttered, "Don't worry mate, I'll get ya outta this." He grinned at both of them and snatched the badge out of James's hand. "James isn't Prefect," he repeated. "_I_ am."

Thus ensued almighty uproar.

"_You_?" Lily admonished, as James hit his friend swiftly upside the head and Grace shouted, almost teary-eyed, "Look, a gaggle of geese! Isn't it _beautiful_?"

Sirius paused and looked over at Grace. "What?"

She only nodded, eyes wet with tears as she watched the honking birds fly by. "Absolutely breathtaking."

Sirius shook his head and turned his focus back on Lily. "Yes, me," he boasted, thrusting his chest out to display the pin as he paraded around the compartment. "I will reign over Hogwarts as ruler of all that is Prefectable-,"

"Ooh, ooh, my turn," Peter said, waving his hands around with bubbling excitement. This caught Sirius off-guard and gave him plenty of time to seize the badge. "Peter Pettigrew," he swanked, "Renowned Prefect and-- _ugh_!"

"I'll take that back, thank you very much," Sirius said, securing the pin once more onto his tie. "I do, after all, have a _Prefect _meeting to attend, seeing as I am a _Prefect_ and only _Prefects_ are allowed to attend the _Prefect_-,"

"You're going to drive me insane," Lily cried out.

Sirius eyed her, eyes wobbling as if she'd swoon any moment and face as red as her hair. "You're not already?"

"Shut up," Lily replied, rather precisely cutting him off before even finishing his insult. She looked over James and Peter. "Shut up, and shut up." She held up a hand to silence Grace before she had a chance to sing along with her. "I don't believe _any_ of you are Prefect, seeing as you're all so dim-witted it's a task just standing on your own two feet."

"Hey!" Sirius and Peter protested. James just smirked- it was a better insult than the ones she usually gave him.

Lily sighed, glancing at Peter. "Sorry," she told him. "You're not an idiot, and highly capable of becoming a Prefect."

Sirius smiled at her, bouncing on his heels as he awaited her apology towards him. "And…" he prodded, giving Lily a playful tap on the shoulder.

"And what?" she questioned simply. "I still think you're an idiot."

To her left Grace let out a fresh peel of giggles. "Ha!" she squealed. "An idiot!"

Just then Remus entered the room, looking bewildered at the unusual confusion but determined all the same. "I'll take that," he said, reaching for the gold pin fastened to Sirius's robes. He looked over at Lily. "Oh, you're Prefect too?"

"Oh no," Lily said sternly, placing one hand on her hip. "I will not believe any more of this nonsense… It seems _everyone's_ Prefect, doesn't it?"

"Be reasonable, Evans," James said, "There are only four Gryffindor boys in fifth year, and if it isn't one of us, would it be an imaginary friend of Dumbledore's?"

Sirius scratched his head thoughtfully. "Wouldn't doubt he's got one."

"Probably," James agreed. "Nothing wrong with an imaginary friend."

"As much as I'm charmed by your philosophical musings," Lily began, looking very much like she didn't mean it. "I've-,"

She cut off shortly as Grace rushed over and brushed past her, clobbering Remus and sending both of them soaring to the ground.

"_Remus_!" Grace cried happily, hugging him so tightly round the neck she was nearly choking him. "I missed you _soooo_ much!"

"Gr-Grace," he gasped, trying desperately to release her strong hold. "I just saw you last week…"

Sirius snickered and slapped his knee in amusement. "Way to get attached, Remmy."

Grace let out a girlish giggle, foreign to her usual heartfelt laugh. "Remmmmy," she sang, sitting up on her knees and squirming back onto the floor. "That is a _lovely_ name."

"Right," Lily said, standing up. "The Prefect meeting's about to start so er… yeah," Within two seconds she had scooted out of the compartment, hurrying down the hallway so no one could stop her.

Remus wrestled out of Grace's grasp and stood up, panting. "Well," he said, quite breathlessly. "Would one of you lot like to go to the meeting, or should I?"

* * *

"Flobber, dobber, oober-doober." 

With these inspirational words Dumbledore sat down in his lavish dining chair, signifying term had officially commenced.

"Well," Lily said, leaning back and setting her fork down onto her plate. "Today was an interesting one, wasn't it?"

Grace smiled good-naturedly, though Lily suspected this might've been the wavering effect of the éclairs. "Interesting is a good word for it."

"Yeah," Julie put in, a smile tugging at her lips. She motioned to the other end of the table. "But I think you scared the boys off with that erm… interpretive hoe-down."

Grace smirked as her friends muffled their laugher. "Laugh now," she warned, and looking down at their empty plates, continued, "but you'd just better watch what you eat. My parents bought me a wicked potions set for my birthday, and I'm not afraid to use it."

---

"I'm just saying," Sirius said, trying his best to look logical. "She did look a lot happier-,"

"All right, all right," James grumbled.

Sirius continued on. "I mean if you compare the two, when Lily came off the train assured Remus was Prefect, and previously, when she thought you were, she looked almost as happy as Remus was when Grace tackled him in the compartment-,"

"She was under the influence of éclairs," Remus defended. "You know that."

"Sure do," Sirius smiled. "And I'll have to thank her for the tip. Next trip to Hogwarts, I know what _I'm_ feeding my date."

Remus sighed and lifted his fork, poking at his untouched mashed potatoes. "Yet another method to add to your list of how to underhandedly bait the opposite sex."

"I do not have a _list_, Remus, I'm not that…" he paused, looking thoughtful. "You know, maybe a list's not that bad of an idea. Publishing companies love that kind of thing."

James nicked Sirius's roll while he was still distracted, before adding his two cents in. "Right," he said. "Just make sure you share all those galleons you make."

"It's not for the money, James," Sirius said, looking rather affronted. "It's for the good of the common man; some are quite desperate, you know, and it's up to fortunate ones, such as myself, to give them the help they so dreadfully need. Merlin, James, have a heart."

James massaged his hand against his eye. "How thoughtless of me."

---

Eventually, after all of the insightful talk of interpretive hoe-downs and baiting women, the welcoming feast came to an end and everyone settled back into their dormitories.

Sirius slid across his cool sheets and smashed his face into the burgundy pillow. "Nice to be home," came his muffled observation.

His content thoughts were soon contradicted, however, when a heavy object came crashing down onto him.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, attempting to lift his face away from the pillow. "What's the big idea?"

"Sorry," Grace panted, breathing heavily. She attempted to lift the weighty box she had dropped upon Sirius. "Didn't see you there."

Remus hurried over to her, James right behind him. "Need some help?" he asked, lifting one side of the box as James propped up the other. Together they lifted the dusty carton, setting it with a loud thud onto the ground.

Sirius sat up, bitterly rubbing his bum –where the box had made harsh contact-, before looking over the tattered box. He gave an unimpressed sniff. "How lovely of you to bring him a box of junk." Nodding his head towards Remus, he added, "Nice to know she's thinking about you, eh mate?"

Grace took a moment to stick her tongue out at Sirius, before turning back to Remus and reaching towards the box. "My aunt ordered mum a year's subscription to 'DEFENSE!', amonthly magazine with a comprehensive study and history of defense tactics, but she doesn't have much interest in it, and it came with a spiffing set of Ruchberg's early Encyclopedias; I…"

Sirius sighed. He was getting much too bored listening to Grace explain the box's contents, and it'd be a real shame if he fell asleep on a night that could hold some fabulous possibilities. Spotting the spare fork and spoon he _always_ kept handy, in case of a dire food emergency, of course, he grinned and reached for them, along with his wand. With Sirius nothing can be boring for too long, after all.

"That sounds excellent," Remus said, leaning over the box for a better glance. "Do you know who's in it?"

"Appingo, Perar," she listed, ticking off her fingers. "There's one or two more but their names weren't very familiar."

Behind them, Sirius was magicking the fork to have long black tresses, and the spook to have blonde and spiky. With the added touch of reading glasses it ever so slightly resembled Remus, making the other an obvious representation of Grace. He grinned across the room at James, and waved his wand; the makeshift puppets began dancing around one another, Remus looking as if he was doing an odd version of a one-man tango.

"And you're sure your mum doesn't want this?" Remus asked, distracted as he began to thumb through one of the top editions.

Grace nodded and flipped another one open to a page near the middle. "I thought you could use them for your articles," she said. "Are you still writing those?"

Sirius magicked the Grace fork to clobber the Remus spoon, just as she had that morning on the train. James made an odd sound from where he sat on the dresser top, trying hard to muffle his laughter with the edge of his cloak.

"I wrote a bit over the summer," Remus was saying, as he scanned the article Grace had opened to. "But not too much… Yes, that's Perar; he's brilliant, isn't he?"

The spoon and fork began to swoon towards each other, and the section where their mouths might've been hastily met together through an unseen force. Sirius smacked his lips together and fluttered his eyes at James, imitating the puppets.

"Yeah, I--," Grace cut off suddenly and gave a frustrated sigh, turning to Sirius with her arms crossed over her chest. "Attractive, Black," she said flatly.

Sirius looked up, lips still pursed and eye-lids mid flutter. "Huh?" he asked blankly. "How did you…"

Grace kneeled down until she stood at the height of Sirius's ear. "See that big shiny thing over there," she said slowly, deliberately over-pronunciating her words. "That's called a _mirror_."

Sirius smirked. "Well aren't you just the brilliant one," he said dryly, standing up beside the two to grab his cloak off the wardrobe. He began to pull it on. "Merlin, Grace, haven't you got any happiness left in ya?"

"Sure I do," Grace said, teeth sparkling as she smiled an unnaturally large width. "The dungbomb I put in your cloak makes me happy."

"Right," Sirius said, not minding her comment and pulling on the rest of his cloak. "There's no possible way--," he cut off very suddenly as a small explosion sounded near his right elbow.

"Oh, bugger."

* * *

A/N: I had a lot of review responses here, but it's almost a year later and I've realized that they took up a LOT of space. Well here's one big collective thanks...I'm so glad you'rereading and (hopefully) reviewing, I really appreciate it! 


	48. Of Waffles Topped with Strawberries

Standing There By You

Chapter 48- Of Waffles Topped with Strawberries

A/N: Hello! First of all, let me explain that a crazily large family dinner is taking place at _my _house (which fits my family of four comfortably, but certainly not _46_) this Saturday, and so this chapter may cut off a bit shorter than I intended purely because I wanted to get this chapter out before I was forced to do nothing but clean. Now after that terrible run on sentence, I present this fascinating…

**MUST READ:**

Precisely 26 chapters ago, James explained the process they'd have to undergo to become Animagi, but seeing as that was _very_ long ago, I've added an excerpt from it to help refresh your memory.

---

_...James found the beginning and read aloud, "Being an animagus involves many dangers if performed improperly... could be lethal... blah blah blah... ah, here we go. Well, we'll need a potion, to start out. Here's a list of ingredients-,"_

_"Why do we need a potion?" Peter interrupted. "I thought it only consisted of muttering a spell."_

_"It does in the end," said James. "But first you need a potion, as to avoid Deversor."_

_"Deversor?" asked Sirius. "What's that?"_

_"Hm... let's see, oh, it's acquiring the process of adflictatio."_

_"Adflictatio?" Remus repeated. "That doesn't sound pleasant."_

_"It's not," James said, grimacing. "It means getting lodged between the animal and human form. Says here you can remain there for up to two hundred years, and that's where the potion comes in. It's for beginners- if you screw it up, the potion, if concocted correctly, should prevent that."_

_"Er.. right," Sirius began slowly. "Well, we'll concoct it correctly then, eh?"_

_James nodded, and continued skimming the pages. "But using the potion also means we won't transform. A successful attempt will be recognized by a strong violet light instead of the animal form, but once we've achieved the light we can move on to just using wands, and eventually no wands at all."_

_Looking back up at his friends, he said, "Well this should be pretty simple. Nothing the Marauders can't do, right?"_

---

Okay, so basically just know it goes: Make a potion to secure their safety until they successfully produce a violet, indicating light, use wands to transform into animagi, and then finally no wands at all. Just wanted to get that cleared up, thanks : )

"Here's the way I look at it," James said, from his spot on their dilapidating wardrobe- years of holding dungbombs and suffering spilt experiments were finally getting to it. "She's a woman, and women change their minds. They've got this way of looking at things," he waved his wand and the jelly bears began to march away from their spot on the bookshelves and towards the open door. "You've just got to be imaginative."

---

James hung his head mournfully. "What kind of girl turns down marching Jelly Bears?"

"The crazy kind," Sirius said, empathetically patting his wounded mate's shoulder. "And you even taught them those songs," he eyed the multi-colored bears, "maybe their tunes were off… Do'ya think their tunes were off?"

The Jelly Bears crooned louder, as if to prove their tunes were far above adequate. James glared at them. "They're mocking me," he said heavily.

Sirius reached forward and grabbed a handful of the animated treats. "There," he said, swallowing the lot. "All gone."

James moved towards the mirror. "I just don't get it," he said, shaking his head in bewilderment as he slowly scrutinized his features. Next to him Sirius gulped hard, trying to push down the mournfully singing bears that resided in his throat.

"Right, well, take Cathy to Hogsmeade then," he suggested, voice a bit strangled as the bears tried a new tactic- yodeling. "She's quite the looker, and she's always fancied you, you can tell."

"Cathy?" asked James vaguely, still worried with his reflection. "Lofters? Nah… She's got that weird thing, by her left ear. I can't go out with girls that have weird things by their left ears."

"She hasn't got anything weird on her left ear," Sirius protested. "You're just being fickle."

"No I'm not," James insisted. "Would you go out with someone that's got something weird on her left ear?" He paused and winced, remembering Sirius's two week affair with Cathy just before the holidays. "Right, well, you're not very hard to please, you've got to admit."

"Fine," Sirius sighed, folding himself irritatingly onto their desk, not remembering or minding Remus's neatly stacked books and parchments. "Go with Angela then. No doubt she's keen on you."

James made a face. "She's so… enthusiastic. And perky."

Sirius stared dubiously as his friend. "Since when is that a bad thing?"

James groaned, slinking onto the bed nearest to him. "It's just-- Oh, I don't know. There's still a month to go, I've still got time to try and… persuade…"

"She dumped tuna on your hair," Sirius reminded him.

"No," James corrected, "she charmed the _bears_ to dump tuna on my hair."

"While singing 'I Am Woman' by Helen Reddy," added Sirius. He began to hum the catchy tune.

James acknowledged the addition with a grunt. "She's weakening," he persisted.

"She's not," Sirius assured him. "Go on, Angie's blonde, you like blondes." James grunted again but didn't voice his objection that red-heads were rather more what he preferred. "See," Sirius said enthusiastically. "Do I know you, or what? Now come on, go wash your tunaesque hair before you smell up the room, and I'll meet you downstairs. Won't it be nice to go with a girl that doesn't dump sea-products on you?"

Without waiting for a reply he leaped off the desk, and with one last clap on James's back disappeared out the door. James frowned at the spot Sirius had previously been. "Well maybe I _like_ smelling like sea-products," he muttered.

_It was exactly 4:08 p.m.; I know, because my hair had set in curlers for exactly an hour after school, and I had just gotten up to catch a bite to eat…When it happened. I can't remember much, mostly the vague smell of fish and someone humming a catchy muggle tune, but I don't doubt I'll ever forget it. My knees wobbled dangerously-- Lucky I was wearing my fuchsia stockings; they're the sturdiest-- as his nearly edible voice surrounded and entranced me. The look in his eyes was pleasant, but not surprising, and filled with adoration as he gazed upon me hopefully, eyeing his chances and most obvious good fortune. I was an old lady smashed against the window at a Grand Opening sale at Macy's, trapped, trapped where I stood by his eyes and supple-lipped grin. Before I knew it he was speaking directly at me, and knowing but not fully comprehending, all I could do was nod. And then we departed, he holding my hand to secure me from the harshness of the outside world, and below us our shoes striking the floor ever-so-perfectly, his brown leather against my lovely gold Nostalgias._

"_Wow_," Val breathed, limbs nearly melting at the fantastic depiction. "That sounds _amazing_…"

"It was," Angie assured her, leaning against her dresser with a loud and dreamy sigh. Too happy to even care her head had clunked the side of it, she continued, "Just like we imagined, Val, except, like… better."

Val nodded with vigor, placing her hands on her knees and leaning forward. "Tell it to me again," she pleaded.

A hazy look came over Angie's face. "It was exactly 4:08 p.m., I know, because my hair had set in curlers…"

Remus leaned against the base of the common room fireplace, muttering softly to himself as he leafed through his dog-eared text book.

"Remus," Peter said, itching his right brow. "Are you on number three yet?"

Remus paused and looked up at Peter, deciding not to let him know he had completed all ten questions, the bonus, and was now mid-way through his Transfiguration assignment. "Sure," he said, "just about."

Peter had barely opened his mouth to ask for his assistance, by the time Remus had shifted his books aside and stepped over to over-look his work. "That was an example problem in class, Pete," he said, trying to stay hearty. "Flitwick gave us the answer."

"Oh," Peter glanced down at his paper. "Really? I didn't catch that."

Remus sighed and lifted Peter's paper in search of the notes he had taken in class that day. Spotting them, he sent an accusing glance at the boy below. "It's got tic-tac-toe doodled all over it," he said.

"Oh," Peter said again, "right," he nodded here, remembering. "James and Sirius borrowed it for a couple of games; I was the referee!"

Sirius plopped down on the gold patterned couch just as Peter spoke this. "Good games," he said, grinning. "I beat James four times."

"Not true," James argued, appearing next and sitting on the floor beside Peter, as Sirius had taken up the entire couch. "We only played three and_ I_ won two of them."

"You guys," Remus said, rubbing his eye jadedly. "You can't-,"

Sirius wagged his finger at James. "That one game counted as four," he said, "Remember? Peter even said so, and he _was_ the referee."

Peter nodded proudly. "I _was_."

"That's only after you threatened to turn his dinner into dirty socks," James countered.

"You can't play tic-tac-toe in Charms," Remus said quickly, before anyone else could interrupt.

"Why not?" Peter asked.

"Stop being such a Prefect," Sirius griped. "It isn't becoming."

"Because," Remus said, addressing Peter but eyeing Sirius and James. "You can't concentrate that way."

"Sure we can," Sirius piped up. "We're-- _oomph_!" He rubbed the spot on his stomach where Remus's elbow had purposely collided. "What was _that_ for, you hag!"

Remus frowned, unsure of what to do, but then let out a breath of relief as James caught on and stared back. Remus signaled with his head to Peter and then at a pillow; several moments later James was diving at Peter, pillow securely in his hand and manic, yet determined grin set upon his face.

"_Gnagrth_!" Peter exclaimed, confused by the fluffy object that now covered both of his ears.

"You can't play tic-tac-toe in Charms," Remus repeated hastily, "because _he_ can't concentrate." He thrust a thumb at Peter, who was struggling with his pillow duress. "You and James are quick; you know Pete, any distraction and his grade is doomed."

"Don't try to change the subject," Sirius accused. "Even your _tone_ is Prefectish."

"I'm not the one that changed the…" Remus sighed and rubbed his eyes again, reluctantly admitting defeat. "Better take that pillow off of him, James; he's starting to look a little off color."

James did so. Looking wilding around, Peter asked, "Why'd you do that?"

Remus answered for James. "New game," he explained, "called, er…"

"Cover Your Mate's Ears with a Common Room Pillow," James supplied, flinching afterwards at the lameness of it.

"Oh," Peter said, just as Sirius let out a gleeful laugh.

"Sounds like fun!" he decided, bouncing up and grabbing a pillow. His eyes narrowed dangerously at Remus. "My turn!"

Remus jumped up. "No, sorry, but I've got to go," he said. "I've got a Pre- erm…" he paused, catching himself just in time. "Er… _Tuna _meeting." He glanced at James, "Oh," he said, walking backwards, the swinging portrait his clear destination. "That's ironic, no?"

James grumbled something about disobedient Jelly Bears and no refunds as Remus stepped through the Portrait hole. "Bye then," he bid, as he disappeared into the hallway.

"Bye," Sirius replied, before turning to face Peter and James. "Maybe there is something good about him being Prefect," he said slowly, grinning. "C'mon, I'm sure Fluent's not in his lair-- Hup to!"

---

Lily breathed softly on her parchment, waving her hand swiftly in an attempt to dry her spilt ink. "Bugger," she muttered under her breath, trying in vain to both listen to Victoria Tritor and clean up the work of her clumsy hand.

"Problems, Lily?"Victoria smiled, not cordially in the least but rather cool and, she was sure of it, positively simpering. Lily noted thoughtfully that when she smiled her nose sort of squished like a turnip. "Being Prefect is a _big task_, I know," she drawled, "but do try and keep up."

Lily frowned, commenting to herself thatVictoria was the exact reason Slytherins shouldn't be made Head Girl. "Nope," she said, voice laced with false cheerfulness. "I'm doing fine."

Victorialooked her up and down as her co-head continued speaking. Just as Lily bent over to take notes on the patrol schedule he was speaking of, she realized her ink dish had emptied entirely onto her bag. "Don't worry," a voice whispered beside her, just as her panic attack was due to commence. "I'll lend you my notes."

Lily turned jerkily at the offer, and wasn't all that surprised to see Remus Lupin peering down at her from the row behind. She thanked him silently with a grateful smile, before turning back to face the front. Can't have turnip-face heated again, after all.

---

"_Persona Agito_!" his voice echoed throughout the frigid dungeon. A clap of thunder boomed behind him, illuminating the quarters for a haunting instant and silhouetting his hunched and crooked figure.

A strangled squeaking noise sounded beneath him, and something rough brushed up against his arm. "Persona Agito!" he boomed once more.

A bat began flapping madly behind him, scraping the tightly secured doorway. "Persona Agito!"

Silence. And then,

"_Oh_,--,"

"Watch the language," James said, his face suddenly visible as he flicked on the tall candlesticks that surrounded the room. "Or at least the volume, you know Fluent creeps around here at night."

Sirius cursed bitterly again, slamming onto a stool. "I don't care about bleeding Fluent," he brooded.

"I thought you said you had it," James said, smirking at his sulking friend. "You didn't even _need_ the potion. Thought you said… What was it now… The light was as bright as the sun on a--,"

"Alright, alright," Sirius grumbled. "I said I _thought_ I had it. Maybe the lighting was better there, or something."

"Maybe," James ribbed. As he crawled up onto counter and scooted over to face them, however, he face swiftly turned serious. "We've got to make some progress on this; at the rate we're going, we won't become Animagi until we're thirty."

"Fine by me," Peter gulped, holding up one of their reference books. "Look at this guy-- He got caught in-between his human state and a rabbit… Ugh, look where the ear is!"

"Well don't think about that," James said, hopping off the counter and slamming the book shut. "We're in it for Remus, remember? Besides," he cracked open the book, venturing another glance, "It doesn't look _that _painful…"

"Come on," said Sirius, waving them impatiently to where he stood. "We're not going to get anything done by just standing here."

James brandished his wand and took his place beside Sirius, retrieving a crumpled piece of parchment from his pocket and laying it flat on the table. "Ready."

Peter gave a defeated sigh, before scrambling next to Sirius and retrieving his wand as well. "Ready," he nodded his head reluctantly.

James reached forward for the three glasses behind him, wincing at their contents. "We really have to find a way to make this taste better," he said. "I've drank this same stupid potion for two months, now, and I'm still not used to it."

"If you pinch your nose like this," Sirius advised, "it's not nearly as bad. Or, pretend you're eating a waffle topped with strawberries, that always works for me."

James made a face. "Waffles topped with strawberriesdon't have slug bits and spider legs in them."

"On that pleasant note," Sirius said, rather jolly given the present situation. "Drink up!"

---

Lily tucked her hair away, annoyed at its mere presence as she dug through her half-inky schoolbag. "Sorry," she apologized, still searching. "I _know_ it's in here."

"It's all right, really," Remus assured her, "I'm not in a hurry." She nodded and continued tossing her books aside, blanching several times when her hands meant the gummy presence of resolute ink. He watched her, mystified at the unusually cluttered state she was in; hard to comprehend, but true, she was often more organized than he.

"I'm not usually this disoriented," she replied to his unasked question, following it up with a short, self-disparaging laugh. "Things have been a little crazy lately and I haven't had the chance to organize my things or replace my old supplies with the new ones," she spoke very fast; even her words radiated chaos, "Moving around loads this summer was mad, you know, I don't think--,"

Lily clamped her lips shut as she realized that no, he didn't know. Not at all. She was talking like a mad woman. "Sorry," she apologized again, as Remus stared back at her with musing eyes. Not sure what to follow that with, she ducked her head and hastily began searching through her bag.

"You moved?" he asked, looking down at her with round eyes of ignorant thoughtfulness. "Are you near Derby? I've heard that area is fascinating."

"What… Oh, no." Lily kept her eyes glued to her blotchy schoolbooks. "No, never mind, I didn't mean to-- Ah, here it is!" She held up a planner, its edges soggy with ink but the rest of it certainly usable. "Great, could I see your notes then?"

Remus held the parchments out distractedly, studying her peculiar actions. "Is…" he began hesitantly, "Is something the matter, Lily? You seem a bit--,"

"Everything's fine," she assured him, smiling as she passed back his notes. She shoved them at him quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice the inky thumbprints she had left behind. "Thanks Remus," she lifted her bag and flung it over her shoulder, forgetting the small pools of ink inside. "See you tomorrow."

Remus watched Lily leave, wondering if it were James's new enticement tactics that had had such an adverse affect on her. Shrugging and noting to advise James not to make his latest infatuation go bonkers, he bent down and mopped up the blotchy mess she had left behind.

---

"Perhaps…" James rapped his knuckles against the desk, eyes brightening. "Apples! No one can resist apples. Can you imagine; the scent of apples and then, well," he chuckled a chuckle rather deeper than need be, "_me_."

"Would you snap out of it?" Sirius pleaded. He turned around and grunted at James, tilting his head up to beckon him over. "And I could use a little help, you know…" he gestured with his chin to Peter, who presently stood before him, hunched over and arm trapped in a tremendous jar of petroleum jelly. The last animagus attempt had _not_ been a good one.

James hopped off his desk, reaching out a hand to help. "Snap out of it?" he asked, sticking his tongue out a bit in concentration as he heaved at Peter's jelly-trapped limb. "I can't just let her win!"

Peter gave a small squeak as Sirius gave his arm a particularly forceful jerk. "Win?" he repeated through gritted teeth. "She doesn't even know you're competing! If your opponent doesn't even know the game's commenced," he attempted to explain blithely, "then they surely can't _win_."

"Oh, she knows," James assured him. He shook his head darkly. "She knows…"

Both boys gave Peter's hand a colossal tug and a loud _squish _sounded as the boy's hand went flying out of the jar, and, boy included, went flying across the dungeon. "I thought we went _through_ this," Sirius said tiredly. "You're taking Angie. Lily's, I don't know, taking a book or something. All is well and particularly dandy."

"Angie? Oh- right, well, merely another tactic, my friend. I'm sure Evans'll be scrumptiously jealous, and--,"

"You just called her Evans," Sirius pointed out, looking over his shoulder at James as he kneeled down to help up Peter.

James made a face. "So?"

Sirius heaved Peter so that he was standing upright. "Well," he began to explain, brushing his hand on his trousers. "That means you _obviously _hold negative feelings towards her, so--,"

"Loathe," James corrected. "I _loathe_ her."

It took all of Sirius's self control- which admittedly wasn't very much to begin with- not to strangle the deranged boy before him. "Then why in the _world_ are you obsessed with getting her to go out with you!"

"I already told you," James replied swiftly. "The _competition_."

Sirius's frustrated face broke out into his typical grin. "Always were one for the taxing challenges, weren't you. Well, much fortune to you then, I've heard she bites."

"Really--,"

"No thoughts like that," Sirius quickly interrupted. "C'mon," he spun around and gestured to their empty glasses, "we've still got a good twenty minutes or so left till the potion stops working."

"All right," James said, returning to his spot in the middle of the room. He held up his hand at an odd angle above him. "Ready."

Sirius glanced sideways. "You look idiotic- that's never going to work."

James paid him no mind. Looking above his elevated elbow at Sirius, he replied, "Just say the incantation, would you?"

Peter joined them and held up his hand as well, doing his best to mimic James's position despite Sirius's claims of its folly. Unfortunately it ended up looking a like a limp pretzel, and could not have been pleasant from the look of pain on his face, but nonetheless he managed to affirm, "Ready," and the three boys voiced their incantations.

"Oh _bloody_-- This is _never_ going to work," Sirius griped, slumping against the desk as his wand did nothing but give a pathetic poof.

"Ah," James began, voice lined with something that very much resembled shock. "I don't know about that…" A trace of mischief curled across his face, forming a slight grin as he peered over at Sirius amidst a strong bed of light.

Sirius's mouth dropped open. "The light!" he exclaimed, jumping up and attempting to touch the violet orb that surrounded James's head. "I can't believe--,"

"Wow," Peter piped up. "Guess the stance _wasn't_ idiotic after all, eh Sirius?"

A/N: Kay, even though I didn't really agree with how close Lily and Remus were portrayed in PoA (the movie), I still think it has to be right, to a degree. They were very similar (in my book at least… heh, no pun intended) and most likely were bound to be friends, so this chapter was just a hint of that. Also, someone requested shorter chapters, so I'm wondering if more people feel this way. Let me know, as the majority's wish is my command. ; )

Foxyie xox- Glad you liked the dungbomb : p Thanks so much for the review, much appreciated!

Tears-Of-Love-Tears-Of-Hate- Aw, you don't suck at reviews! Your reviews are simply spiffing! Hmm… Maybe next time tell a joke. That would be an awesome review. But really, I love any feedback I get, and the kind words you so mercifully bestow upon me are ones I'm_ very _grateful for.

Sweet Sarcasm- Eek, well either way, I hope you're okay. Ugh, yeah I know about the metaphorical roller coaster… life's soo crazy this year. My grades are going down too, which sucks because I try about a billion times harder… You're not a Junior, are you? Cause I am and it seems like the _hardest_ year…Thanks for the review, hope you feel better!

Dulcis Caelum- I'm seriously, like, twitching to go to Arkansas. _Twitching_. I need _Arkansas_, and it needs me. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Kind of. Where are you?

**Sapphire039**- Gaaaah I can't believe I forgot you! I'm so sorry, and will forever be in your debt. I bow my head in shame. And now for a poem!

_Ode to Sapphire: I am sorry I forgot thee, But you see, it is dire, That you listen to this plea: You must, you must, forgive this lass, Or I am quite afraid, The humble lass will not surpass, And drown her self in lemonade._

(Sorry the format's all screwy)

SiriusJamesRemus'sgirl- Oh yes, Sirius is a very fantastic character, isn't he? Good thing he's not dead. Because he's not, you know. Dead. Psht. Muggles may be stupid but JKR can't fool _us_. Thanks for the review!

Potter-you-Rotter- Ha… I still get a kick out of your name. For some reason it's not letting me send any e-mails to you, did you change you're address? Thanks for the review!

Illirium- That's all right about the last chapter, I know, I'm mighty busy too. Ooh.. The _college_ library? Where do you go? I have to start looking at those soon… Well anyway, thanks bunches for the review!

Dance-flirt- Hey! _Every_ reviewer is special! You will always have a special place in my fanfiction heart, Abbi, fear not. You have to understand too that that was 5 or 6 chapters of reviews, so it looked like a lot more. Well, thanks for the review!

Dobby-Girl- Oh good, glad I could make you laugh! Tis the best medicine, after all. Thanks a million for the review, always appreciated!

Gaby-Black- Yay, really glad you liked it! Thanks very much, you know I love hearing from you : )

Padfootz- Happy I could please you with my measly work of fiction, thanks much for the review!

Locus- Wow, yes, you are _very_ good at stretching a thought to its maximum capacity. I'm flattered you would take out so much time to write oh so much, and terribly sorry I didn't update faster. Thanks for the review! (And the biscuits)

Braveheart- I'm glad you enjoy my writing style, it's awesome to hear such wonderfully positive feedback (that's always the best kind, hehe) Thanks mucho for the review!

Angel Street- I'm happy you liked the last part, thanks for telling me because it really helps out when people specify which parts the preferred. Thanks very much for the review!

Sblomie- Hola! I, ami, am from the mysterious and exhilarating land of Ohio. Eh, exhilarating is a bit of a stretch, I suppose, maybe notch higher than dull would be a more fitting depiction. Where are you from, Watson?

QuixoticPear- Hehe, yes, you do love James. You're going out with him this chapter! You should kneel before me in gratitude.

NorbertheDragon- Oh yes, I remember you now. Purple carrots, hehe. Any particular reason you chose this new penname? Oh my… I can't even _imagine_ Sirius on éclairs.

Soft N fluffy- I'm really glad you found my story, cause I really loved your feedback : ) At first my beta and I weren't sure about the summer, but now I'm glad we kept it! Thanks much for the review!

Soccerchc17- Hehe yes, though Grace is crazy _all_ the time. ; ) I'm really glad you think it's funny, thanks for the awesome review!

Pottersgrl- Oh yes, I like the word spiffy too, very lovely. Hehe, does the friend you call Angie have the penname Insanity Flourishes? Cause she was telling me about that. I put 'us' in there, just for you guys! They've only got a little part this chapter, but there'll be more soon. Thanks for reviewing!

Ieyre- Ah… I heart Sirius too! I'm glad you like the way I depict him, but truthfully he's such an awesome character it'd be hard _not _to portray him in a great way. Hehe, glad to make you giggle, thanks for the review!

Purplereader- Lol, glad you're so excited! (Even though I had no clue what you were talking about.. hehe) Very happy you enjoyed the update, and even happier you enjoyed the Grace-on-éclairs ; ) Thanks for the review!

InsanityFlourishes- Wow, those script thingies sound awesomely fun, if you ever type them up you'll have to send them to me! Oh btw, I tried to check out your friend's story but I searched it and nothing came up. If you could send me a link I'd greatly appreciate it ; ) Thanks for the review!

Jade- Hehe, very philosophical, very philosophical indeed. Thanks for the review, good luck with your House of Fancy Pants!

Espergirl04- Oh yes, hehe, very surprised. Nope, you spelled marauders right! Good job, that's a hard one to spell… I always screw it up :pats spell check fondly: Well.. can you really pat a spell check? Huh. Thanks for the review!

MissBlueAngel- Ahhh… Not Peter's girlfriend:gasps and grabs keyboard: such horrors… Thanks for the reviews!

Aerandir- How many days? Huh? _Huh_? That's right, you keep thinking that.

Sallymander- Glad you liked the chapter! Hehe, yes, dungbombs ; ) Thanks very much for the spiffing review!

Sun Kissed Rose- Poke poke poker polar polka p-i-z-z-a potatochips? Hehe, you crack me up. Very glad you liked the chapter, thanks mucho for the review!

Shanti-shiznigh- Thanks very much for the always appreciated inspiration!

Braveheart28- Thanks bunches for the wonderful words : ) Ah, the Sirius Black Fan Club… Well that's been sort of uh.. at a standstill, you could say, since school and junk is bogging me down. But as soon as it starts back up again, I'll let you know!

Emps- Glad you liked it! Well actually, I _can_ tell you when they're getting together. Or Sirius can. Read the chapter (or two) after Snape's Worst Memory in OotP, and you'll be sure to find it : ) Thanks for the review!

Autumn Darkness- Lol, very glad you liked their reactions. Thanks mucho for the review, I really appreciate it!

Romulan Empress- Wow, your review was such a relief! First off, did _not _think anyone got that 'ooh-ooh' thing. Second, thanks for being so patient! It really makes me feel good that you're willing to wait for the next one. Thanks very much for the review!

Lilly4James- Wow, you're very generous with your compliments, thanks: ) About the shorter chapters, hmm, never thought anyone would ask that. Interesting…

Appleopolis- Hi! It's really great to hear from new readers, thanks much! I'm glad you like the review response thingie, I worry that people will get made about the space it takes up sometimes. Oh yes, I love Remus and Grace too, hehe : ) Thanks again!

Windowseat Wonderer- Thanks, glad you like 'em! I really appreciate the wonderful feedback, and don't worry, I won't stop!

Jess Eades- I'm really glad you like the way I portray James and Sirius… They're _very_ fun to write. Hope you enjoy the rest of it, thanks for the review!

Messaluna- Glad you like the story! Don't worry, this is the year for major Lily and James. Sirius said in OotP that they get together in seventh year though, so nothing crazily romantic will happen till then. Thanks for the review!

EripMav- Hello! Friend of Ninde's? Ooh, tell her I say hi! Hehe, glad you could part from your usual pairings and venture on over to Lily and James; it's really quite fun. Thanks for the review!

Ninde Annare- Yuck, technological droughts are the worst : ( You are very much forgiven for reviewing late, it really doesn't matter. I'm really glad you enjoyed the chapter, thanks very much for the wonderful words! I promise I'll e-mail you an update of my crazy life once I get a spare moment, talk to you soon!

RavenSiriusBlack- Oh yes spoon, hum hum. Thanks for the long and quirky review, and yes, of course you should use it!

Lovesheart- Hi! Thanks for the awesome review (wow, caps, you must've been majorly excited, hehe) I'm really glad you're enjoying it, and I hope you liked this one too!

Blueseal- Ooh, just got your reviews! Thanks mucho... Ah yes, I know very well the burden of homework / Thanks for taking the time to read though!

Sirius-harry-n-remus- Wow! Thanks so much for reviewing so many chapters, it really means a lot to me. I liked to hear your comments on the different situations; it really helps when creating the new chapters and such. I appreciate it soo much... Thanks!


	49. Truthful Trials and Daring Diversions

Standing There By You

Ch. 49- Truthful Trials and Daring Diversions

A/N: Omg... Is anyone else suddenly in LOVE with that glorious seventh month?

July 16th, my new favorite day!

Can you believe it? I can't believe it. I think I'm going to spaz from all of the excitement... ooh it's so long away! Who's the half-blood prince? Who's going to die? Any ideas? Share them in your review, cause I'd love to here 'em!

Erm, anyway... Wow, never before have people responded so much to one of my A/N's… You readers are very passionate about long chapters, I now see ; )

I did, actually, have the intentions of posting this chapter only a week after the other, but even with Christmas break I barely got this sucker out. New goal: one update every other week.

Ah, yes. I experienced a revelation this weekend. My characters are teenagers, I suddenly remembered, and therefore are inclined to do ah, teenagery stuff. So please, in advance, excuse this giddish, teenagery, (I don't think either of those are real words) nonsense chapter… I promise there will be more substance in the future. But for now…. : )

---------

James discovered, very quickly, that Transfiguration was the _perfect _class to observe someone. Each row of desks rose just higher than the one before it, allowing, with just a few simple calculations, the perfect view of anyone in the room.

"What does it _mean_?" James asked, crossing his arms in meditation as he flicked a detached gaze towards Sirius. "Do you see how her cryptic actions taunt me?"

Sirius lazily lifted his head off of his drool sodden text book, to gaze upon the sight of which James was indicating. Two rows down and to the left just a tad, Lily Evans sat perfectly in her seat, currently smudging a row of improperly copied statistics with the edge of her pinkie.

"Stalker," Sirius coughed.

James ignored him. "I mean, look at her," he continued. "It's like she's _trying_ to incense me."

Sirius rubbed his eyes. "She's writing," he observed flatly. "How might that connect to you, James?"

James gave an exasperated sigh. "Well that's _obviously_ what I'm trying to figure out."

"Oh," Remus spoke up, leaning across the aisle from the row behind them. "She's just sneezed, what does that mean?"

"I don't know," James shook his head pensively. He sat still for awhile. "Clearly we need to launch an immediate investigation," he declared, leaning forward and pressing his hands firmly upon his kneecaps. "These mysterious actions_ must_ be discerned."

Sirius swatted across the aisle at Remus. "Look what you did," he grunted accusingly.

"I know," Remus admitted, tiredly rubbing at his eye with his palm as he sunk back into his seat. "Next time, remind me not to speak."

"Gladly," Sirius grumbled.

"There's no time to muck around," came James's decree. "We've got a lot of work to do."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Truthfully, Sirius had always known James was a bit touched in the head. But as of late, he had revisited this less than appealing trait more often than one should think healthy and, quite honestly, Sirius was beginning to worry for his friend's already unstable sanity.

Any other year they would've already traded Professor Fluent's showerhead with a dungbomb shoot, added something heady to Minnie's tea, and welcomed the first years cordially with a load of familiar insects and a great deal of maple syrup. As of yet, what had they accomplished?

_Nothing_. Well, unless you include that whole completing the first phase of the Animagi thing, but that doesn't count. Sirius wanted _pranks_; nice, juicy, scream kindling, detention earning, illegal in all states save Kansas and Utah, _pranks_. And with one of his best mates becoming an authorized enemy and all, these were due to be _extra_ swindlish.

It was a sad, sad year for the Marauders, Sirius decided, and that night after dinner he was going to make sure he pointed out the disastrous truth.

"You know," Sirius began, lowering himself to a spot just beside the toasty common room fire. "I've been thinking--,"

"That's great mate," James said, hopping over his friend and landing expertly on the couch. He shifted a large book he had been holding to the other hand, and leaned back against the sofa's tattered arm. "Now-,"

"James," Sirius said slowly and very cautiously. "What… is… that?"

James quirked a brow. "What're you talking about?"

Sirius rose to his knees and pointed to his friend, looking around at Peter and Remus for support. "_That_," he spat, thrusting a finger in disgust at the blood-red cover that enveloped a large stack of printed upon parchments. He refused to say the word-

"A book?" James supplied, holding it out towards his friend. "It's all right; go on, touch it. It won't hurt you."

Sirius ignored him. "_Why _do you have a _book_?" he questioned, voice bursting with accusation.

In response James simply flipped opened the hardback's cover, searching for a previously marked page. "To talk," he read, voice fortified with confidence supplied from the hefty red book. "According to definition number eleven under Rustburg and Unstrung's Unbounded Book of Definitions, this verb of Indo-European roots has one obvious purpose; to reveal information concerning oneself or others, especially under pressure."

"Nooo," Sirius protested, trying desperately to secure his ears from the horrific sound of knowledge. "Stop James, for the love of Merlin, stop!"

"Girls," James continued, paying Sirius's interruption no heed. "This noun, also of Indo-European roots, is most clearly described as a bungled, muffed up version of man, with the always apparent aptitude to partake in gossip, idle chat, trivial conversations, or rather solely the likelihood to _talk_."

"It doesn't say that," Remus disputed, reaching for the book.

"I don't _need_ a book to tell me that one," James informed him, tapping his head. "It's common knowledge."

"Right," Peter agreed, nodding. His eyes narrowed in what looked like, surprisingly, a pondering position. "So have these definitions got to do with that investigation thing, then?"

"Very good my friend," James commended. He stared down at Sirius and Remus, both leaning on either side of the small couch below him. "Though _these _blokes don't seem to have made the simple deduction."

His friends returned the comment with wry smiles, as Peter puffed up with pride. "That's right," he boasted, "a _simple _deduction."

"He doesn't even know what you're talking about," Sirius said grumpily, looking up at the ceiling with bored eyes and stretching his long arms apathetically to show his disregard. To his left Peter began shaking his head in protest, so he added, "Fine then, what is James talking about, Peter?"

Peter's head went still and he began to fiddle with his tie. "Well, well of course I know… You don't know? Well then I suppose I'll just have to spell it out, I guess, that's right, just going to spell it out--,"

"Get on with it," Sirius prompted.

"Right, well, obviously James here, he's studying the ancient manuscripts reserved by the erm, primeval wizards and--,"

"Close Peter," James cut in blithely. He closed the large dictionary and tossed it back onto the cushion. "Well if you don't recall we decided to initiate an investigation, and…"

"_We_?" Remus chortled quietly.

"…so, performing the necessary task of research, along with added touch of knowledge I discovered that girls talk, and when they talk, you… find out stuff!"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Genius, pure genius."

"And so," James cocked his head mischievously, "part one of the investigation is complete."

Sirius stared at his friend vehemently. "Pranks!" he yelled, frightening several chattering second years nearby. "Pranks!"

Remus sighed. "All of my friends have gone nutters," he mourned.

"What're you on about, Sirius?" James asked, staring back at his friend with a bemused expression. "I didn't even mention pranks."

"Exactly!" Sirius roared. Two first years scampered out of the room in unsheathed fear. "That is _exactly_ what I'm saying!"

"You're not _saying_ anything, for one; as a matter of fact you're blowing out my eardrums. Second," he pulled a face. "What are you _talking_ about?"

"This year's rotten, mate," Sirius explained, slightly maddened, "we've barely pulled any pranks, no, no, you know what we've done? We- oh sorry, _you_- have become obsessed with asking a certainobstinate girl-,"

"All right, all right," James held up a hand to refrain Sirius from fully exploding. He scratched his head. "Er… Okay, listen," crossing his arms, he contemplated the best way to word his thoughts. "What I was going to tell you, was that if we get the girls together, they'll talk and-," he hastened his words as Sirius began to glower, "and then we'll listen and well, you see, this _will_ be like a prank, I mean it _is_, it is a prank."

Sirius narrowed one eye, mulling over James's last statement. "Is it?" he questioned skeptically. "How so?"

James descended to Sirius's level, one hand uncomfortably resting on the floor and the other on the couch cushion. "Look at it this way," he began, staring off into the distance.

Sirius turned to him. "What are we looking at?"

"The future, mate," James explained. "Now, somehow we get the girls together, right? And once they're together, we sneak into wherever they are, and listen, unbeknownst to them, of course… Merlin, imagine what we'll find out! This is like the key to everything men have ever wanted to know; we have to do this…," he pumped his fist passionately, "if not for us, for men everywhere!"

Sirius eyed his friend. "Will there be dungbombs?"

James deflated slightly. "Sure, Sirius, there can be dungbombs."

"All right!" Sirius shot up enthusiastically. "Let's get started, then. How are we going to get the girls together? Oh, make sure you have chocolate and cucumbers, girls _love_ those-,"

"Keep your voice down," James reminded him, motioning to the room's curious occupants. Sirius nodded knowingly and fell onto the couch beside James. "Right, so this part of the plan should be quite easy," he held up a torn piece of paper, "see?"

Sirius took the paper and inspected it, finding it to be an aged magazine clipping. "_Feeling Stressed? Raucous? Tense? Check out these ten simple ingredients to create the perfect girls' night in… It may be just what you need to unleash those bothersome emotions_!" Sirius grinned. "Raucous…"

Remus watched them, amused. "And how in the world are you going to get them to partake in this…"

"Girls' Night," James finished for him. "I just figured we'd send them each a letter that they'll think is from each other, you know, the one addressed to Lily sign from Grace, the one to Julie sign from Lily, it all works out. Here," he handed Remus several leafs of parchment. "I thought you could write 'em all- you've got the most girlish handwriting."

An indignant noise sounded from Remus. "For one, this is an invasion of their privacy… Grace would _kill _me, and rightfully so. And secondly," he scowled, "_I do not have girlish handwriting_."

"So you're saying," said Sirius, leaning casually towards Remus, "that you don't want to hear _anything_ Grace has got to say… when you're notaround?"

Remus glared at him, piqued and dangerously irate. "She tells me everything," he contended, sounding a bit more confident than need be.

"_Everything_?" Sirius repeated scathingly. He pursed his lips and puckered them fervently. "Does she tell you how you kiss, eh Remmey? You do kiss, don't you?" At the look on Remus's face, Sirius grinned. "That's my boy! Now," he pulled a sad, puppy dog face. "What if you're doing it _wrong_ and she's just too nice to tell you?"

Remus's previous confidence drained very quickly. "Wrong?" he repeated dumbly. "I couldn't- it's not possible, right… is it?"

"Oh, quite possible," Sirius assured him. "You could be biting her lip-"

"Chipping her tooth," James spoke up.

"Have horrible breath," said Peter.

"Or spit that tastes like dead fish," Sirius added, "teeth sharp like rocks, tongue like a tentacle-,"

Remus snatched the parchments from James's hands. "Give me a quill, would you?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Tonight all right for a Girls' Night? You bring the chocolate, I'll bring the cucumbers. See you there!_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lily shifted on her pile of pillows and picked up a small square of chocolate, popping it expertly into her mouth. "We're almost out of chocolate," she announced, looking around the room. Her eyes met a large pile of cucumbers. "Er… Does anyone know what these are for?"

"Dunno," Julie said, shrugging. "I think mum puts them over her eyes."

Grace shook her head, spreading her pinstriped comforter across the floor. "Weird."

"Yeah," Lily agreed, leaning forward on their plethora of pillows. "So, what do you want to do?"

Grace shrugged. "It was your idea… What did you have in mind?"

Julie glanced at her curiously. "I thought it was your id--,"

"What is that?" Lily asked suddenly, sitting upright and leaning towards the doorway. "Oh," her eyes bugged wide, "Hide!"

The girls scrambled across their scattered pillows and blankets, and within seconds managed to cover their heaps of chocolates, scoop up their bed coverings, and flick aside their dejected cucumbers.

"Hullo," Val greeted, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she strode into the room. She looked around curiously at her pajama donning dorm-mates, each suspiciously perched at the end of their beds. "What are you doing?" she asked, squinting her eyes in a confused fashion. "It's only seven o'clock."

"Right," Grace agreed. "But, you know what they say… erm," she racked her brain for the common muggle phrase.

"The early bird gets the worm!" Lily finished for her, giving an over-enthusiastic pump of her fist. "Because, you know," she began to explain, "we--,"

"They're handing out worms?" Val wrinkled her nose. "That's disgusting."

Lily opened her mouth to amend her response, but reconsidering, closed it. It wasn't worth the effort. "Right, worms."

Val shrugged and bent down to pick up her books. "Well, hope you have fun." She waved as she went to exit the room. "Bye!"

The girls released a collective sigh of relief as the door shut behind her. "That was close," Grace breathed.

"I feel bad," Julie said, frowning. "Lying to her like that."

"I know," Lily nodded, "but..." she gave an involuntary shudder. "If we told her we were having a Girls' Night who _knows_ what we'd end up doing."

---

"_Wow_."

Remus picked at the side of the castle with his finger. "Stop drooling all over yourself, James," he chided.

James dipped his broomstick against an imaginary gust of wind, giving a muted yelp of elation. "Are you even looking?" he inquired, grin growing and eyes peeled on the window before him. "_Girls_, Remus, girls in their _pajamas_."

Remus ducked down for a moment to glance inside the window the four of them currently hovered above. "Lily's wearing flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, and the rest are in their sweats," he stated, looking back up at James. "They're wearing more than they usually do!"

"You're missing the point _completely_," Sirius said, hitting his friend upside the head with a spirited swap of his palm. "Besides," his gaze dropped down to James and Peter, both still goggling and emitting an unhealthy amount of drool, "just let the boys have their moment, would you?"

---

"So…"

Lily drummed her fingertips against the side of her bed. "Right, so that History of Magic essay, don't you think--,"

"No!" Grace shouted, pulling a pillow hurriedly over her head and steadily blocking all noise from entering her ears. "You are _not_ allowed to discuss homework tonight."

Julie nodded fervently, giving a slight look of disgust at the books and parchments lying alongside her desk. "Agreed."

Lily deflated slightly. "Well what are we supposed to do, then?"

"Dunno," Grace shrugged, shifting in her comforter. "Ooh, I read this brilliant article about quidditch, did you know--,"

Lily and Julie gave simultaneous groans of protest before Grace could get too far into one of her interminable raves. "No, no, no," Lily said, shaking her head. "Since we're already weeding out the undesirable topics, you most certainly can_not_ talk about quidditch."

Grace sighed and dropped back onto her blankets. "Fine," she relented, muttering it was most certainly _not_ an undesirable topic as she fiddled with her pillow covering. She sighed. "Then what are we _supposed_ to do?"

---

"Well," Sirius began, forcing a smile. "This _is_ stimulating."

"Yes," Remus agreed. "I'm certainly glad we went through all of this trouble to watch them lie around and pick at rotting cucumbers."

"Ye of little faith," James frowned. "Something'll happen."

Sirius crossed his arms grumpily and leaned forward on his broomstick. "Maybe if you would've let me bring the dungbombs…"

"I told you, mate, we have to save those for the Halloween feast," James assured him, as he reached out a hand to clap his friend on the shoulder. He looked back into the window and heaved an immense sigh. "Oh bother, they're building little houses out of the cucumbers now," he told them. "Whose idea was that, anyway? Those blasted cucumbers."

"Not mine," Sirius quickly spoke up. "Ooh look," he perked up and lowered his broom to have a clear view through the window. "I _think_ this just got interesting."

---

"Sorry," Angie sang, stepping over Julie's outstretched legs. "We ran out of Plum Rose nail-polish, can you imagine?" She laughed, "And right before a Hogsmeade trip, my goodness."

"Sounds terrible," Lily said, attempting to discreetly slide leftover chocolates and cucumbers beneath her pillow.

"Hey," Val began, flipping through a magazine with a befuddled look upon her face. "Someone's been cutting the articles out of this," she held up a page and inspected the clear missing square, "I- oh!"

Having stumbled slightly upon a slippery object, Val held out her arms for balance and glanced down to see the source of her slip. "Oh," she muttered, bending down to pick up the gold foil culprit. Val narrowed her eyes as she examined the wrapper, and curiosity piqued, kicked aside the bed-curtain the wrapper had been partially hidden by.

"Whoa…" Angie breathed, eyes widening as her friend lifted the curtain and revealed a mountainous pile of disposed chocolate wrappers. She looked up at Julie inquisitively, realizing it was her bed they lay under. "Did you eat _all_ of these?"

"Erm…" Julie looked tentatively between Grace and Lily. "Yes, well you know, I didn't have a proper lunch…"

Angie stared at her for awhile longer, before finally shrugging and stepping into the bathroom, Val not far behind to help search for that tricky Plum Rose.

"Phew," Grace sighed, resting her head against the bedpost resignedly. "That was close."

"Yeah," Lily agreed, nodding. Julie, however, looked unsure. "What's the matter?"

"Well I don't know," Julie began slowly, chewing her lip. "I mean, maybe… maybe we _should _ask them to stay…"

"Ugh," Grace grunted, stuffing her face into a pillow. "Then we'd end up wearing smelly face masks and participating in those crazy magazine things."

"Uh huh," Lily said, lowering herself back onto the ground. She continued slowly, "And that would just be awful… Wouldn't it?"

"Well what else are we going to do?" A small smile tugged at Julie's lips. "The only thing we've done so far is trying not to talk about books or Quidditch."

The bathroom door slammed open and Val paraded out, clutching a tiny pink bottle. "Found it!" she announced, grinning.

Grace looked over as she felt her two friends' stares lingering upon her. In a motion of surrender she closed her eyes briefly and groaned quietly under her breath. "Val," she ventured warily, "do you two have any plans tonight?"

"Yeah," Julie nodded as she held up a limp green vegetable. "And do you have _any_ clue what to do with these cucumbers?"

---

"Hw lung du ue haf to-,"

"Don't move!" Angie commanded, savvy fingers not deterring in the least as they flew expertly through Julie's hair. She turned towards Lily. "You have to wait until it _dries_."

"Buh it's ich-,"

Lily cut off abruptly as a terrycloth towel smacked against the back of her head. "No talking," Val instructed, pointing to the space just above Lily's left brow. "Look, the mask is already cracking!"

"Ugh," Grace said, frowning at a twisty sort of object she held inches above her face. "Where did you get all of these thingamabobs?"

Val giggled and crawled over to kneel beside Grace. "That's for your cuticles," she informed her, bringing the small item to rest on one of her fingers. Her face contorted and she made a soft gagging noise, inspecting Grace's nails in horror. "Oh these are _awful_," she cried.

Grace withdrew her hand indignantly. "Well Quidditch is a rough sport," she insisted defensively.

"Don't worry," Val assured her, exhaling deeply. "I can fix this."

Grace's eyes widened as the spry brunette pulled out several very hazardous looking objects. "Is all of this really necessary?" she gulped, watching as she pulled out a spiky silver dish.

"Oh yes," Val nodded solemnly. "Dire."

---

Sirius slumped against his propped up palm. "I was wrong," he moaned. "This is _not_ interesting."

"Oh," Peter muttered softly, "always wondered about those cuticle things."

James shot his friend a worried look before turning his attention back to the girls. "I'm- I'm positive they'll start doing something soon…" he put his ear up to the subtly cracked window and frowned when the only thing he heard was a vast dispute concerning Vivacious Violet and Plum Rose. But then, just as he was about to lose hope…

"Men," he hissed, gripping onto his broomstick and shoving his ear further into the crack. "I think, I think-,"

Sirius swooped below the window and raised his ear beside James's. "_Yes_," he whispered, eyes brightening in excitement. "I can't believe our luck, the best game in the world, bless the creator-,"

"What?" Remus whispered, lowering himself beneath James.

A grin spread across James's face. "Truth or-,"

---

"Dare," Grace decided, resting her chin on top of her knees. "Truth's for ninnies."

"Hmm," Angie mused, rocking on her knees and looking thoughtfully back at Grace. "Oh!" Her eyes lit up and she smiled deviously; leaning forward, she beckoned Grace to do the same, and whispered a few hushed orders into her ear.

Grace smiled and reluctantly got up to her feet. "Right then," she shook her head and took a determined step forward. "Be back in a bit."

Julie's eyes widened. "What are you making her do?" she asked, as the door slammed resolutely shut.

Angie smiled and emitted a soft sigh. "You'll see."

"All right, my turn," Val said, scooting forward in excitement. "Julie," she began, "truth or-,"

"Wait," Julie interrupted, holding up a hand and looking hesitantly around the room. "Shouldn't we wait for Grace?"

"She won't be long," Val waved her hand dismissively. "Now," she bent forward eagerly. "Truth or dare?"

Julie bit her lip nervously. "Erm… Truth, I guess."

Val released a breath of relief and Angie grinned, knowing what was about to come. "How does Sirius Black kiss?" she asked breathlessly. "It's like heaven, right?"

"W-what?" Julie responded, clearly perturbed by the unexpected question.

"You know," Val insisted, "Hogsmeade weekend, fourth year, October the seventeenth? He thought you were that horribly talkative girl- you know, Abbi, from Ravenclaw- Come on now, _spill_."

"Oh I- It was- it was- good… I guess," she stammered. "Kind of er, caught me off guard, you know, and I uh, don't really remember much after knocking into that tray of butterbeers…"

"It was so _romantic_," Val gushed reminiscently.

"He thought she was someone else," Lily pointed out, "and kissed her against her own free-will. Not to mention she ended up on the ground with a near concussion and butterbeer all over her hair. You call _that_ romantic?"

Val nodded wistfully. "Yeah…"

"All right," Grace panted, slipping back into the dormitory and leaning breathless against the doorframe. She threw several articles of clothing at Angie and grinned. "Piece of cake."

---

"Hey," James yelped, "those are my knickers!"

Remus chuckled as he watched Angie shriek and clutch tightly onto the snitch embellished undergarments. "And by the looks of it, you're not getting them back."

Sirius nudged Peter. "I kiss like a god," he declared.

Peter twisted around. "That's not what she said."

"Yes, but that's what she _meant_ to say. You could see it in her face."

Remus smirked and turned towards his friend. "You don't even remember kissing her, do you?"

Sirius paused. "No, no not really."

"Quiet," James commanded, motioning towards the window. "I'm trying to listen."

Sirius smirked and inclined his head towards Remus and Peter. "He's just heated 'cause those were his favorite pair of knickers."

---

"Mmm, hand me some more of that Chunky Monkey," Grace requested, moving to reach for a half-eaten pint of the ice cream.

"Here you go," Lily said, shifting the sticky container towards her. She peered over at her friend curiously. "What about you," she asked, watching as Grace dug into the delightful frozen treat. A mischievous grin curled the corner of her lips. "You haven't told us _anything_ about how Remus kisses."

Grace narrowed her eyes at Lily from above the dripping carton, smiling good-naturedly. "Good," she said slowly, peering inside the pint in deliberation as she paused a few moments to ponder her answer. Finally she held up the container of ice cream. "But alas, no match for Ben and Jerry."

Lily laughed and Grace looked up at her, eyes mirroring her friend's previous impish glint. "Hey Val," she said, smiling slowly. "I don't think Lily's had a turn yet."

Lily immediately stopped laughing and instead stuffed her chin securely into a pillow. "Oh, that's quite all-,"

"Right then, I've got a good one for you," Val said, looking at her from above the large, bobbing roller she was releasing from her hair. "Dare, no?" Before waiting for a response, she smiled and nodded towards the stairwell. "Go run downstairs and speak gibberish," she instructed, giggling, "to the boy you _fancy_."

Lily paled. "That's ridiculous, I don't fancy anyone-,"

Grace cocked her head. "But what about-,"

"Shush!" Lily squeaked, as Val and Angie began giggling and her friends stared back at her with knowing smiles.

"Oh go on," Grace said, ushering her friend out the doorway. "It's only gibberish."

Lily gulped. "Oh, bother…"

---

"Ben and Jerry?" Remus admonished, mouth gaping. "Who in bloody-,"

"Where's James going?" Peter asked, watching as a blur of his friend flew further and further downward and towards the castle's entrance.

Sirius smirked, leaning forward on his broomstick to follow his friend. "Hurrying to practice his gibberish, I'd expect."

---

James shifted his weight, dragging a hand through his hair and peering down, eyes narrowed and criticizing. If there was a part of him he didn't particularly care for, it would be those large, lengthy feet that he never knew what to do with- especially during times like these, when he was attempting a coquetry stance that would be sure to welcome Lily. Just as he decided he looked best with one foot propped against the wall and his elbow resting on an eloquent windowsill, light footsteps could be heard pattering naught two hallways away.

James released a breath and looked to the side, trying his best to appear nonchalant. "Argh!" he yelped, nearly falling out of his perfected stance.

"'Ello," Sirius mouthed, waving enthusiastically from outside the window.

James scowled and returned to his blasé position, ignoring his friend as he sent him an eager thumbs-up. Straightening up and placing on a cool grin, he feigned interest in a bug crawling across the window, as Lily's vivacious red locks appeared, the only distinct characteristic in the quickly darkening corridor.

She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes against the darkness, searching for something ahead of her. James's smile crept farther across his face, and he re-checked his breath for the third time that night, tapping his foot anxiously as Lily drew closer and closer.

And closer, and closer…

And closer still, landing her nearly two feet before him. As he expected, she came to a sudden stop, turning a cocked head towards him. "Potter," she began, gazing at him with an _obviously_ forced disinterest. James mused to himself that she was a terribly good actress, explaining all of that constant talk of hatred and such.

"Yes?" he asked airily, leaning casually against the windowsill. He smirked at her fidgety movements- she was already nervous, and he had barely said two words.

Lily crossed her arms and turned to look up and down the corridor. "You haven't seen Kirk Douglas, have you?"

"Well I-," James's suave response cut short abruptly as he comprehended her question. "What?" he frowned, "What do you want with Douglas?"

"None of your business," Lily snapped. Her nippy tone lessened, and she bit down on her bottom lip, shifting her weight from side to side. "Oh, never mind, I-,"

"Sorry, Lily," a slender boy with cropped, fair hair and blue eyes, vivid even in the evening dark stepped towards them, shifting a pile of books and glancing down at the red-head. "Did you call for me? Emily said you came by ten minutes or so ago…"

"Oh, hullo Kirk," Lily said, tipping on the balls of her feet as she continued on a bit breathlessly. "I uh-," she closed her eyes briefly before finishing, "Oober higham jennish froyd," hastily, before ducking her head to hide a girlish grin, and hurrying down the hallway.

James's mouth dropped open as four of the most painful made-up words he had ever heard rebounded throughout his brain. Bloody gibberish.

---------

A/N: Ah… I warned you, didn't I? I'm sorry, but they're fifteen year old girls… Truth or Dare was bound to come about sometime. Thanks for reading!

**Sweet Sarcasm**- Yes, life _is_ very hectic, isn't it? But don't worry, with all of those extra things you're doing I'm sure you'll get into a really good high school. I never really had to work towards a good secondary school… we all just get shipped to the one nearest ; ) Thanks for the review!

**Sapphire039**- Lol, glad you liked your ode. We've been writing poems in creative writing (yucko, I hate writing poems) but, despite my hatred, I thought I could pump one out for you. (Even if it sucked… hehe) I'm really glad you liked the chapter, thanks much!

**Windowseat Wonderer**- Aw, thanks for that incredible warm-fuzzy review! I'm really glad I could make your day better, because you sure did the same for me : )

**SeCrEt LiLy**- I'm happy you think the story's funny, ah yes, and the tuna, hehe. Thanks very much for the review!

**Ilirium**- Yes, the animagi thing is back and I promise there'll be more soon. I'm really glad you're happy with the way things are going : ) Ooh, Canada, sounds exotic. Thanks for the review! (And scaring me out of my wits for college!)

**DobbyGrl**- Hi! Thanks so much for expressing such enthusiasm towards my story, it really keeps me motivated! Ah yes, longer chapters… Hehe, even when I try to make them short they come out longer than usual. Oh well, thanks again!

**Appleopolis**- Hehe, glad you liked the chapter : ) Ah yes, I'm not sure if you caught it or not in this chapter, but Sirius and Peter (eventually) completed the 'light phase' as well. Thanks for the review!

**Angel Street-** I'm really glad you enjoyed the chapter, and the 'light' part as well. Thanks a bunch for your input, I really appreciate it! (Oh yes, don't worry, majority cries long chapters as well.)

**Padfootz-** Aw, thanks : ) I'm really glad my chapters make you smile, because your reviews make me smile as well! Thanks bunches for the review!

**Emps**- Ah, very glad the flashback helped… Heck, I even forgot what they said! Hmm… EW4eva started posting on a different site, so I'm not sure if she's going to continue with any of her stories on fanfiction. Thanks mucho for the review!

**Romulan Empress-** Happy you like the 'competition' thing, I figure it'll work for awhile, anyway ; ) Thanks very much for the review, and don't worry, I'll keep the long chapters coming!

**Tears-Of-Love-Tears-Of-Hate**- Ugh, yes, it wasn't that pleasant being crammed into my humble home : / Ah well, there was good food. Thanks for the review! (And support, hehe.)

**BlueSeal**- Ooh, glad you're enjoying James's poor, poor attempts : ) Thanks very much for the consistent reviews, they make me very happy! See you at caroling tomorrow!

**SiriusJamesRemus'sgir**l- Oh yes, Sirius will definitely be in the next book. Alive and healthy, right? Which we will see for sure on JULY 16th!! Hehe, sorry… Thanks very much for the review!

**DestinyofSanity-** Ooh, you always have very interesting names. Hehe, thought that was you! (the one Pottersgrl was talking about) Spiffykins, hehe, sounds great. Oh no, poor James! I hope he comes in and ties the 'really hot surfer dude' up and throws him in the lake. See how he surfs on the giant squid, ha! Oh yes, thanks for the review!

**Apurrrrva**- Don't worry, longer chapters it is! Las Vegas? Ooh, have fun!

**Foxyie xox**- Ooh yes, I'd be flipping out too! Though I don't know if I can relate with you on that whole 'not being in love with a fictitious character' thing. Hehe, thanks for the review!

**MooningOverMoony**- Sorry if it was confusing, the lines that separate things didn't show up so things kind of got muddled. Anyway, the thing with the '4:08' was Angie talking recalling that afternoon to Val, when James asked her out. Sorry for the confusion, thanks for the review!

**Dulcis**- Coffee's bad, especially when you're hyper. Good luck with the whole hacking up blood thing, I hope it gets better before our trip to Nebraska. Still waiting on my postcard from Arkansas!

**Zimzoogle09**- Ah, don't worry, longer chapters prevail! Aw, I'm really glad I could make you and your friend laugh, that made me very happy : ) Thanks mucho for the review!

**TenniStar514**- That's all right, I'm really busy too. I'm very glad you like my depiction of Sirius, thanks mucho for the review!

**Lily Jane**- Ooh yes, I do feel special! I'm honored you took out a chunk of your day to read my story, and very glad you liked it : ) Thanks for the review!

**NorberttheDragon**- Aw yes, the whole Norbert thing is quite cute. Ah, don't hate Angie… Although she does have those rotten intentions of marrying James and leaving Lily out in the dust. Lol, glad you enjoyed the chapter, thanks much for the review!

**Molly**- Hi! Long time no talk : ( Eh, don't worry about not reviewing… You're forgiven! (But _just _because it's Christmas) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, thanks for the review!

**A Respectful Reader**- Hello! I really appreciate your concern, but honestly I'm doing AOK. Sometimes life's a little hectic and it's rough getting out quick posts, but other than that it's fine. Oh, the missing spaces thing happens because I have a new computer, and I'm still not used to the format, so the spacing gets screwy when I upload it and sometimes I miss a few things in quick-edit. Also, the chapters may not be as light hearted as they used to, but sadly times are getting as the story moves along : / I really appreciate your consideration, it makes me feel good that people out there care : ) Thanks!

**RavenSiriusBlack**- It is tuna, do not worry. And buffalos do _not _have wings. Haha, very true about boys, sad… but true. Thanks bunches for your review, always appreciated! (Hi Kat!)

**Ieyre**- Hehe, glad you liked the tuna-dumping jelly bears. Thanks for the review!

**Sblomie**- Hertfordshire… Awesome! I'm so jealous… You probably have a British accent, don't you? : p I'm radiating green with envy right now, though you don't sound as thrilled about it as I'm making it out to be ; ) Thanks bunches for the review!

**Elementaer**- I'm really glad you enjoyed my story, thanks much for taking time out of your life to read this silly thing : ) And thanks for the review, too!

**Sarah**- Hehe, yes, very good. A fabulous line, isn't it?

**Terrageomancer**- Ooh, glad you're so enthusiastic about it! Thanks much for the review, very appreciated!

**Gaby-Black**- I'm happy you liked the chapter, thanks mucho for the always-appreciated inspiration!

**Jade**- Mmm… Hope the corned beef was good! Ho Ho Ho, who wouldn't know…

**Forever-Fallen Angel**- Welcome to the world of Harry Potter fanfiction! I'm very happy my lengthy story could keep you interested and smiling. Oh and thanks for mentioning the parts you enjoyed because that really helps when I'm writing future updates. Btw… Is your friend Zimzoogle09? Because she mentioned that part too. Okie doke, bye!

**theQuibbleringQuibblerer-** (wow my spell-check hates your name, but I love it!) I'm really glad you're enjoying my story… Hehe, don't worry, no obsessing over James or Sirius (save Val, of course). Thanks for the review!

**Mystikalolo**- Hi! Thanks so much for saying such wonderful words about my story, it really makes me feel spiffing : ) Don't worry, less prudish Lily is heading this way. Thanks again!

**MissBlueAngel**- Oh no, not a Slytherin!! I tried to update quickly, really I did. I hope you enjoy your new glasses, I'm sure they look awesome : ) Thanks much for the review!

**Siriusismine**- Hehe yes, but James is very attractive any way, isn't he? Ooh yes, Bing Crosby… I had to add him in, it was dire. Thanks much for the review!

**Potter-you-Rotter**- A puppy!! Yay! Those are very cute names, major kudos. Hmm… Maybe could you e-mail me? Perhaps I wrote down the wrong address or something. Anyway, thanks for the review!

**Autumn Darkness**- Don't worry, the chapters will remain long. Thanks for the review, always appreciated!

**Piper-Loves-Leo**- Wow, thanks for expressing so much enthusiasm! Your positive words really keep me happy, ah yes, and thanks for mentioning all of the parts you liked, that helps me when writing future chapters. Proper Lily and Jamesness doesn't come until seventh year (if by proper you mean dating) because that's what Sirius said in OotP. But don't worry; there will be plenty of goodies before that!

**PinkPanther**- Ooh, nice name. Thanks very much for the wonderful review! Hmm… How many chapters do I plan on having? Ah… let's just keep it at a nice round thousand. Hehe, jk, I really have no idea. I'll be as surprised as you guys!

**Ninde Annare**- Hello! Ooh, I really have to write you an e-mail, sorry Christmas craziness is making it hard to have any spare time. I hope you're enjoying the holidays, thanks much for the review!

**Pottersgrl-** Hehe, no, I don't think anyone would be able to turn down marching jelly beans (except Lily, of course). Oh yes, and just to letcha know, you can find your story if you log-in and go under stats. (It's on the left-hand column) Okie doke, thanks for the review!

**Dance-flirt**- Lol, glad you liked the lemonade poem ; ) Yeah I know, the school year does hinder fanfiction goodness, doesn't it? Oh well. Yes, and uh… Sirius Black fanclub.. hehe school kind of ate that up too. Maybe one day…

**Courtney83**- Hello! Okay, to answer your questions. 1) The demise of Lily's parents will be explained later on in the story, I kind of left it with unanswered questions that will be sure to be answered in the future, 2) Hmm… I didn't really plan on the pose being from the third movie, but I guess it could be, couldn't it? Hmm… hehe, well thanks for the review, very appreciated!

**Newsieduckling**- Hehe, your name is just so cute ; ) Thanks very much for the inspiration, it always keeps me motivated to write more!

**Kita**- Hello! No worries, the chapters will remain long. Thanks mucho for the review, very appreciated!

**Coollilyflower-** Ah, for the sake of your sanity? Well I must update now, then! Hope I'm not too late : p

**Ashley**- I'm glad you don't think it's boring ; ) Thanks very much for the review!

**Lizz**- Hello! I'm very glad you're enjoying my story. Ah, yes… I think you've been reading too many James and Lily fanfics because JKR never mentioned how or for how long he liked Lily. But that's okay, I find myself wondering if Harry and Ginny really did get together yet sometimes, hehe. Thanks for the review!

**ErisedXdesire**- Ooh, very cool penname. I'm really glad you enjoyed my story, don't worry, more chapters soon : ) Thanks much for the review!

**MarialeBenitez13**- Hehe, very entertaining review : ) Hmm… That's a really good idea about Peter, but I always sort of thought it'd be better if James and Sirius were good to him, that way it'd make him the true bad guy in the end. Also, I think the reason he left was because he was a follower, and as Voldemort's powers grew so did his ambition to be with the most dominant leader. Thanks very much for the review, I'm really glad you like it!

**Zhhe**- Lol, I'm trying, I'm trying. Thanks for the review!

**FreckledIrishMaiden-** Oh yes, don't worry, I understand about the hectic thing : p Thanks for taking the time to check out my fic, always appreciated!

**Wave-walker28**- Hello! I'm really glad you reviewed all of those chapters—sometimes I wonder if people read past the second one ; ) Ah… the broomstick, let's just say James is a rebel, and he couldn't possibly live without it. Oh, hehe, very glad you liked Sirius's marshmallow line… Thanks again for all of the review!

**Claire-Fire- **Ah, just read your new chapter! Muy awesomeness ; ) Oy no, you're freaked out? How come, because of the anti-quick updates? Sorry, life's really hectic right now. I tried to make this one long, though, so it'd make up for the absence of the story. Hope your exams went well!

Happy holidays! And remember,

Only 205 days till HP6! (Or 4,920 hours, or 295,200 minutes, or 17,712,000 seconds...)


	50. And Then There Are Times You Are Not So ...

Standing There By You

Ch. 50- And Then There Are Times You Are Not So Brilliant

A/N: Hello. Okie doke, before we begin I just have to say one teensy thing. Several readers were ah, a bit angry that Lily went for Kirk instead of James… but I must say, if I'm going to follow the books exactly (or as much as possible) then Lily can't harbor any immediate feelings for him… I mean, we haven't even gotten to the O.W.L.s scene in OotP, of which she portrays much less than pleasant feelings ("I'd rather date the giant squid…" remember?). Please be patient loves, I promise it all empowers the plot ; )

I'm warning you in advance, this chapter is super-short. It'll be longer next time, promise.

* * *

"Sirius," James muttered gruffly, turning stiffly toward his friend. "I'm going to kill you." 

"What James?" Angie asked brightly, inching closer to him and tilting her flushing face towards his. "Is something the matter?"

Sirius hid a smile as he watched Angie's knee bump against James's- over the course of about seven minutes she had managed to draw her frame alongside his, leaving all but one centimeter or two between them and making it very difficult for him to put one foot in front of the other. "You kids are just too cute," he observed fondly, hopping over some tossed shrubbery and striding his way into Hogsmeade. "But I'm going to have to catch you later; I think I'm going to go- _urgh_-,"

"Sirius," James hissed, tightening his grip on his friend's collar as he squirmed beneath it, "If you leave, I _swear_,"

"Oh that's just so cute," Angie declared, smiling cheekily. James jumped; he seemed to have forgotten their very near arrangement. She continued on anyway, "Always have to be together, don't you?"

"Oh yes, always," James replied dully, peering around him. Spotting an elaborate Quidditch display in a nearby window, he jumped at the chance and continued, "Here, you two stay here, and I'll be _right _back…" he hurried off, elated at the chance of escape.

Sirius chuckled, glad to be away from James's strangling grasp. "Well," he began merrily, "this is quite the lovely-,"

"Listen," Angie interrupted menacingly, eyes darkening and fingers clasping around his tie. "This is our _date_, you nitwit, so scat or I swear I'll-,"

Sirius emitted a strangled, gurgling sound and jumped nearly a foot at the sudden change in disposition, turning swiftly around and hurrying off in the direction his friend had. "_James_!"

---

"Not very talkative today," Grace noted, resting her chin upon her hand as she watched Remus from across the table.

"Mmm," was all Remus managed to reply. He shrugged a shoulder and brought his mug of butterbeer up to his mouth. "Mrgh," he finished through a large sip of the steaming brew.

Grace smiled slowly. "What is it? Something on your mind?"

Remus opened his mouth and it appeared he might reply, but reconsidering he snapped it shut and ducked to fetch some change out of his robe pocket. "No," he said finally, though his voice was a bit strangled. "Perfectly fine."

Grace frowned and scooted her chair towards Remus. "Go on," she said, encouraging him with a bubbly voice like one would to a child. "Tell me, Remmey Bemmey-,"

"Nothing," Remus insisted.

"-tell Gracie Wacie what's _wrong_-,"

Remus gritted his teeth in an attempt to keep in the persistent thought boiling inside of him. "Nothing wrong," he said, "honestly."

Grace gave him a heartening shake of the shoulders. "Come _on_-,"

"Who're Ben and Jerry?" Remus finally exploded. His features were tense as an effect of withholding the question and vexation brightened his cheeks to an alarming shade of red.

Grace scrunched her noise in confusion. "What?"

"You know," Remus folded his arms clumsily, "you know… _them_. The ones you- you-," He looked around and leaned closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. "The ones you _kissed_."

She stared at him blankly. "What?"

"_You _know," Remus maintained his adamant whisper, "the ones you said I was, well, er, no match for…"

A sudden look of insight spread across Grace's face as her mouth broke out into a wide grin. "Remus," she managed to get out between laughs, "Ben and Jerry is a brand of ice cream!"

"Oh," he said, after several silent moments of allowing the realization to set in. He gazed dazedly at Grace's laughing face. "_Oh_."

Grace exhaled deeply to try and calm herself. "You're something else, Remus. I can't believe you thought-," Abruptly the exultant girl's smile flipped upside down into a baffled frown. "Wait a minute," she said slowly, lifting puzzled blue eyes up to stare at Remus. "How did you…"

"More butterbeer?" Remus offered hastily, reaching to grab for Grace's mug. "You look really thirsty-,"

"But the only place I said that…" Grace continued, more so to herself than anyone else, "You couldn't have possibly-,"

"Be back in a moment," Remus said quickly, making to stand up. He cringed as Grace's eyes swelled to a size that could only mean one thing…

"You were _spying_ on me?!" Grace admonished hotly, propping herself up to hover at a spot just above Remus. "What- the, the whole- _oh_-,"

"No, no not just you… everybody! All the girls!" Remus attempted… Poorly.

"You twisted little-,"

"No," Remus amended at once, "girls- girls, pajamas!" he tried again.

"Ugh," Grace withdrew her umbrella and swung it hard, buffeting Remus's shoulders. "You," _smack_, "disgusting," _smack_, "treacherous," _smack_, "lousy," _smack_, "heinous," _smack_, "sneak-,"

"No," Remus held up his hands to shield himself against her perilous rain-gear. "No you don't understand-,"

"I understand perfectly well," Grace huffed. "You've just told me the whole account yourself; now tell me Remus, exactly how long have you been sneaking up to girls' dormitories and taking notes on their nightly affairs?"

"Oh," a soft voice uttered above them, marked with surprise. They peered up to see Rosmerta staring down at them, a tray of empty mugs busying her hands. "I'll ah, come back in a little bit then, no?"

Remus cradled his head wearily as he watched her rush to a table at the other side of the restaurant, charily darting several glances back at him as she went. "Grace," Remus pleaded, turning back to his irate girlfriend, "please, I- it wasn't even my idea-," he clamped his lips shut and began to start over, "Well you see-,"

"I should've known," Grace said heatedly, folding her arms. "Friends initiated it, right?"

"Well…" as stuck as he was, Remus still felt he should at least _try_ to defend his friends, "Well, yeah it was their idea, but I-,"

"Let them talk you into it?" Grace finished for him. She exhaled a livid breath. "Honestly-,"

"Hullo!" a familiar voice sounded beside them. They turned simultaneously to find Lily and Julie approaching, both bright-faced from the cool autumn air. Though, taking one look at the couple's unusual expressions- Remus's desperate pleading one, and Grace's infuriated banshee-like- they both stepped back a large pace. "Whoa…" Julie uttered, peering at each of them in turn. "What _happened_?"

The grin that turned Grace's lips appeared slightly maddened. "Oh," she clasped her hands together, still smiling that eerie smile. "Do sit down, it is _quite _the lovely story."

---

"You _idiot_!"

"Gnargh," was all James managed to say, before his face splashed down upon a warm bowl of soup.

Sirius watched in amusement as his friend gurgled between Hubert's famous thick n' flat noodles. "Ha ha!" he proclaimed. "Now _this_ is entertaining."

Across from them a terrified shriek sounded, and seconds later Angie was lunging across the table, hands held out far in the valiant endeavor of rescuing her beloved. "Lily!" she cried in anguish. "What are you _doing_ to him?"

Lily only gave a furious grunt in reply, pushing harder on James's soup shrouded head. After twenty seconds or so, however, Sirius began to get a bit worried… Especially when James's leg performed a funny little twitch and his knuckles turned white from clutching the end of the table. "Ah… Lily, I do believe you're drowning him," Sirius informed her, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. When she didn't move and only muttered a gruff, 'I know', he hastily stood up and pulled on her wrist, rescuing his friend from murder-by-soup.

"Ugh!" James sloshed broth across the table, taking a huge gulp of air and gasping vigorously. "Are you _mad_?!"

"Honestly," Angie uttered, balancing her weight on one hand and with the other dabbing noodles off of James's face.

"Oh, not just mad, Potter," Lily spat, finally releasing her strong hold on James's hair, which in turn allowed it to promptly thump back onto the table. "I'm _terribly_ mad. Want to know why I'm terribly mad, Potter?"

Sirius chuckled softly. "Why, then we'd be here all day Lily."

Lily turned to give him an icy glare, and paced dangerously toward him. "Oh and what an incredible surprise," she started sarcastically, "Watson here is involved in the same crackpot scheme as Sherlock."

Both boys gave her odd looks, though James's was slightly soggier. "Who?" he asked.

"Sherlock is a renowned fictional detective, and Watson was his sidekick," Peter informed them. "Uncle Roberto's a muggle movie buff," he explained, shrugging.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Well thank you very much-,"

"I should think _not_!" Sirius exclaimed indignantly, nearly knocking his chair over as he stood up in a livid rage.

"No really," Peter said, confused. "My Uncle Roberto _is_ a movie-,"

"If _anyone_ would be Sherlock, it'd be me," Sirius raged on. "Sidekick?" he growled, "_Sidekick_!?"

"Why Evans," James tipped his head modestly, momentarily forgetting about his near death experience. "I never knew you fantasized about me in different forms- an intelligent detective, we know, now what else? A surfer on the France shores, perhaps? You know what kind of beaches they have there, don't you…" he trailed off as three more people rushed their way into the store, bell clanging madly as the door slammed roughly into the brick wall.

"You should be on quidditch," Grace said, holding a stitch that had formed on her side, and leaning against the wall for support. "Honestly, Lily, what was that…One and a half miles in four minutes flat?"

"Well when I have something to incite me…" she growled, glaring in James's direction.

"Oh," James raised his brows, "I _incite_ you-,"

"Yes, actually, you do," she took a step towards their table and heightened her volume a _tad_.

"WHEN YOU SPY ON MY FRIENDS AND I IN OUR DORMITORY YOU _CREEP_-,"

Sirius held onto the table for fear of being blown away by Lily's infuriated wrath, as he looked around at the small gathering, trying to calculate exactly what she was yelling about. For what seemed to Remus the hundredth time that day, his eyes grew wide and practically reverberated 'epiphany'. "You _told_?" he admonished, staring at Remus in disbelief.

Remus sighed wearily. "I-,"

"Merlin, mate," James cut in, throwing his friend an imploring stare. "Is it so hard to keep a few scribbled notes quiet? You went through the trouble of writing them and then helping us hand them out; how hard is it not to say anything afterwards?"

Remus winced. "Actually, James…They didn't know about the notes." He glanced around him, as Grace and Lily discovered as one the full extent of the boys' scheme. "Well, until now that is."

"The notes you- you wrote the notes!?" Lily said, turning very red, very fast; be it from anger or the embarrassment of being duped by the boys she detested, they weren't quite sure.

"He does have _very_ girlish handwriting," Grace admitted. Remus, not surprisingly, kept silent.

Next to her Julie folded her arms, frowning at the boys worriedly. "But they didn't really hear anything," she began, peering to the side at her steaming friends, before looking back at the boys. "Did you?"

Sirius raised his brows and emitted a low sort of chuckle. "Just how you dream every night about that kiss," he sighed dramatically, "how you can still smell my daisy fresh breath, amidst the overwhelming aroma of butterbeers crashing onto your head…"

"I did not," Julie insisted, hot cheeks tinting crimson, "I didn't even bring it up!"

"Yes, but it was in your face-,"

"Well," Lily said, briskly tugging at her robes and drawing them securely around her, "I'm certainly glad I didn't say anything…" Her eyes widened to an expanded width of perception, as she suddenly remembered a certain dare she had been allotted that previous evening. "Oh you presuming _pig_," she uttered, stomping towards him. "That's why you were all breathless in the corridor, isn't it? Did you _run_ to meet me? Oh you know what, I'm glad she stole your knickers-,"

"Yeah," a dark look crossed James's face, "but don't think you can fool me with that Kirk Douglas act, I know you were really-,"

"Potter!" Lily hushed hurriedly, waving her arms in a sharp motion as a rash indication for him to stop talking. She glanced around anxiously at her surrounding peers, eyeing in particular a certain fair-haired boy seated only three booths away. "Stuff a kneazle in it, you blundering pillock, or I swear-,"

James promptly heightened his volume to roughly match Lily's previous hollering one. "Oh, what's wrong, Evans?" He gestured down the length of the restaurant, "I'm sure old Kirk here would love to-,"

"Potter!" Lily interrupted in a strangled, squeaking voice. She clobbered his head with her parcel from Honeydukes and pounded her foot against his shin, but to no avail. If anything, it caused more of a scene; Lily realized this of course, as Kirk, along with half of the boisterous crowd occupying the pub, turned around to witness the pummeling pair.

"Hullo, Kirk!" James waved cordially.

The Ravenclaw smiled meekly. "Hi."

"You know," James began, pacing along the tables. "Uber hughum tennish droid,"

He wagged his finger at Kirk, and then turned to wink at Lily. "I'd bet you'd like to know what that _really_ means, eh Douglas?"

Kirk narrowed his eyes in thought, before clearing his throat and leaning across the booth, edging slightly towards the other end of it. "Erm, actually," he cleared his throat again, "It was 'Oober higham jennish froyd', if I uh, remember correctly."

Lily paused in her pounding and turned to stare at him. "How did you remember that?"

James frowned. "What does it matter-,"

Shrugging, Kirk ducked his head, reaching inside his robe pocket. He straightened back up, having retrieved a crisp piece of scribbled-upon parchment. "I wrote it down," he told her, a diffident smile inching sheepishly across his face. "I've been attempting to identify its meaning for the past few days, actually…"

"Well that," James smirked and shook his head, "that's the most ridiculous-,"

"Really?" Lily said, a grin turning the corners of her lips as she tucked and re-tucked a wavy red tress behind her ear.

"No, what," James looked rapidly between the pair. "Don't-don't look at him like that, what're you doing-,"

"I've been looking at it all this past week," Kirk confessed, ignoring James's protests. "It's, er- been driving me mad."

Lily laughed nervously. "Oh well, it didn't really _mean_ anything, I just-,"

"I'll tell you what it means," James offered, walking quickly over to Kirk's booth and roughly gripping his shoulder, leaning in and whispering a few gruff words. He smirked when he was finished, leaning back and folding his arms with satisfaction.

Kirk merely emitted a quiet 'Oh', before looking back up at Lily. He shrugged, tugging on the collar of his robes. "Never would've guessed that." Lily opened her mouth to assure him anything James had said was bullocks, but before she could Kirk spoke back up again. "Would you like to walk back with me, Lily? Erm… Perhaps stop at the bookstore along the way?"

"The _bookstore_?" James chided, forcing a few hearty laughs. "What kind of-,"

"Sure," Lily gave a breathy laugh. "Just let me just gather my things." She bent down to retrieve her damaged parcel and stood back up to remove the scarf she had attempted to strangle James with. "Ready! I-" she paused for a moment, turning around to direct her gaze at a gaping James. "Oh don't worry Potter," she said, eyebrow arching high as she pulled on her cloak and scarf. "I won't forget about your little…peeking party. A little retribution is in order, eh?" She thumped his shoulder and smirked before turning to join Kirk, "Might just have to bring out that Marshmallow fluff."

James's mouth dropped open as Kirk hastily scooted out of his chair, joined Lily, and made their way across the crowded restaurant.

"Boy," Sirius remarked, craning his neck to view the couple re-enter the brisk outdoors. "Did that backfire or what?"

* * *

**A/N: **Hi! Please don't hate me. I would hate it if you hated me. Love Kirk, be one with Kirk... Okay fine, despise Kirk, that's all right, just as long as you come to terms with it. Yeah, so this was supposed to be an ultimately spiffing chapter, because it's my fiftieth and all (woot!) but, blech. I'm sorry it's so short... Butit's 11:35 and I still have gov and math to study for... Ah and here's a lesson kiddies (or biggies) don't sit around all break and pick at your toes, and then wait till the very very last second to do your grade-determining math project.... Heh, not like I would do that or anything. 

SeCrEt LiLy- Ah yes, he _should've_ seen that coming… tsk tsk, blinded by the cruel face of love. Eh just jokin, we're not that far yet ; ) Thanks much for the review, I'm glad you liked it!

RavenSiriusBlack- Mmm yes, I wish I had some Chunky Monkey. Lol, glad you liked it, thanks for the review!

Appleopolis- Well… Actually we're not quite like that, hehe. But who knows, if we ever came face to face with our lovely looking characters, we just might ; ) Thanks much for the review!

Ilirium- Ooh, sounds wonderful. Actually I'm excited for college... though not for the work. Ugh, I can't wait for July 16… though it'll be sad that the series is that much more over : ( Anyway, thanks very much for the review!

Padfootz- Hmm… I forgot about Remus being a half-blood. Hehe, I heard Peter might kill Remus with his silver hand! The theories out there are really interesting… Well anyway, thanks for the review, glad you liked the chapter!

Sblomie- Hello! I always love to see your wonderful reviews in my inbox : ) Thanks much for the review, and a merry Christmas to you too! (Sherlock)

Purplereader- Aww… I'm very happy you got a puppy, tell her thank you for the kind words!

Piper-Loves-Leo- Hmm… We'll never know, now will we. Or perhaps we will. Hmm… Well thanks very much for the kind words, much appreciated!

Sapphire039- Ooh… I never thought about it being Godric. That'd be really cool. Yeah I heard JKR is going to give us the reason that Dumbledore trusts Snape (finally!) and ooh the part I'm most excited for is that they say his parents' (Lily and James- woot!) professions will play as a major plot point. Gah I can't wait : ) Well thanks for the review, I really appreciate it!

Hillary- Yeah, it's just easier for me to make longer chapters and post them less frequently, but I'll try to post as much as possible. Thanks very much for the review, I'm really glad you liked it!

Tears-Of-Love-Tears-Of-Hate- Oh no! Sorry about the annoying name connection : / Oh, Grace's dare was stealing James's knickers for Angie… Sorry if you didn't catch that. I'm really glad I could spread laughter through IM's… hehe that makes me so happy!

Amaya- Aw, I'm really glad you like it. Thanks very much for the inspirational words, I hope you enjoy the rest of it!

SiriusJamesRemus'sgirl- Ahh… Hehe, as you can see, Remus did question Ben and Jerry ; ) I'm really glad you liked the chapter, thanks much for the review!

BlueSeal- Hello! Yes, yes, stupid snow : ( Aw, thanks for saying such kind words about my fic, I really appreciate it. Hope to see you tomorrow at 6:30…. Gah I have to call you!

Jay Jay the Jet Plane- Hehe, I know, the horror! I updated as soon as I possibly could, as to avoid any chance of fic-induced heart attacks. Thanks for the review!

Destiny of Insanity- Ah, yes. Sorry to disappoint you with the non-blondeness ; ) Ooh, sounds like an awesome summary! Let me know when the fic is posted and I'll check it out. Good luck, thanks for the review!

Lily Jane- Oh yes, I'll be right outside the bookstore beside you. I'm glad you liked the chapter, thanks much for the kind words!

Dulcis/Gertrude Mccough- Don't panic, because even if you're thrown from such great heights you'll be caught by the river, right into my strange and beautiful arms. And together, we can paint the silence yellow while humming bittersweet symphonies and watching cat-nip filled butterflies flutter by.

Lol… Guess which night I wrote that.

Dobbygrl- Hello! Thanks much for providing loads of enthusiasm, it's always very appreciated!

Jackyskipskip- Lol, interesting penname. Ah yes, I won't delve into the deep depths of Lily's brain to explain her non-liking-Jamesness, because there are many, many reasons. I can't fathom why though, I'd speak gibberish to him in a second ; ) Thanks for the review!

Pline- Hola! Hmm… Kirk was mentioned in third year (during the challenges). Hehe yes, you stated it exactly. Poor James : ( Thanks for the review!

IamSiriusgrl- Hello! Hm, perhaps Sirius's goofy side might've popped up in fanfiction after the fifth book, when he acted droll in the context of Snape's Worst Memory… "I reckon she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate." (Sorry if that's a wrong quote, I don't have the book in front of me.)

Beyonce-85- Thanks for the kind words, they're very appreciated : ) Yes… Poor James. But he'll get over it, don't worry. Eventually…

Ieyre- Ah yes, it should be very amusing. Poor James, us cruel people finding joy in his misery. Splendid times, aren't they?

Clair Fire- Lol, don't worry, I found a site that would figure out the days, minutes, and seconds for me ; ) Really glad you enjoyed this chapter, thanks much for the optimistic review!

Yvonne- Aw, thanks for spending your day with my story ; ) I'm very glad you enjoyed it, and I promise not to torture him _too_ much. Thanks much for the review!

Under-the-Moonlight- Oh yes, Remus is definitely missing out on the frosty goods. Don't worry, I'm sure Grace will introduce it to him sometime. Thanks much for the review, much appreciated : )

JKRobsessed- I'm very glad you enjoyed the chapter, and that the Truth or Dare aspect of it pleased you… I especially love that you included the parts that you liked, because that always helps me out in the future. Thanks very much for the review!

Ninde Annare- Lol, even though I think they're a far stretch from perfect, I thank you anyway : ) You never fail to make me smile with your wonderful words, thanks so much!

Forever-FallenAngel- Ah, interesting? Hope that's a good interesting, or at least mediocre. Ooh, Oober higham jennish froyd? Guess you'll just have to ask Kirk ; ) Thanks much for the review!

Dance-Flirt- Yay! I was hoping you'd like your return, albeit a short one. Hey, at least you had an impact on them ; ) Thanks much for the review!

Ophelia Drowning- Your kind words are much too much, but appreciated nonetheless. Thank you very much for the lovely review, hope you enjoy the rest!

Purplereader- Hehe, very glad you liked the chapter : ) Hmm.. you never brought your friend over! Ah, happy Christmahannukwanzica to you as well.. Thanks for the review!!

PinkPanther- Lol you're review made me laugh… It was very animated. Yes, poor, poor James… But don't worry, one day she just might give him a chance ; ) Not today, though, perhaps another year or so. Hey… Sirius is the one that said seventh year, not me.

Lizz- Hello! I'm very happy that you liked the chapter, and that my update was appreciated ; ) Thanks much for the review, I'm glad I could keep you happy!

Ivy Eyes- Aw, I'm glad you like it so much! Thanks for expressing such enthusiasm, it really keeps me motivated to write more. : ) Oh, and Remus wasn't exactly going to visit Grace's family… It was more just like hanging out with her, and her family just happened to be there ; )

Emps- Ooh, very glad I could make you happy : ) Hm, I think EW4eva said she started posting on a site called Harrypotterfanfiction. I'm very excited for July, too! Thanks very much for the review!

Sun Kissed Rose- Gah, majorly sorry that I missed you… I don't know how that happened. Ooh, very true, I cannot see Draco kissing someone's robes either. Thanks very much for still reviewing!

Jade- Ah yes, pity party, shall we? Tea and crumpets please! Woot, I'm excited too! Ooh I hope we can get together this weekend… I want my present! Hehe j/k, although I am very eager. Oh did I tell you? I got a princess purse from Jessica!

Siriusismine- I _told_ you it sucked… Grr I could rant about it for hours. I especially loved the line 'Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?' from Hermione… Oh yes, that's very in character. Alas, at least we have a _true_ story coming soon! (July 16, to be exact)

Wave-walker28- Hm… so did you decipher the gibberish yet? Perhaps we will never truly know… Only that tricky little Lily. Thanks much for the review, I hope you found something fun to do on your vacation!

Foxyie xox- No… She's not in love with him, don't worry. Oh, but she does fancy him a bit : ) Hey, what do you want from me? She's a pretty girl and Sirius said she doesn't give James a chance till seventh year… It was inevitable. Anyway, thanks for the review ; )

MissBlueAngel- Hm… Too bad they don't have phones : / Whoooa… thirty author alerts? Oh my. Lol, that's okay if you're lazy, I am too… Thanks for the review!

iloveJamesPotter- Wow, it felt really nice writing out your penname ; ) Very nice, very nice. Thanks much for the inspiration, always appreciated!

Meff- Hm, if you're still reading this, which chapter are you on? Just wondering, because you reviewed for chapter one. Well anyway, you're entitled to your own opinion, but I have tried as hard as I could to un-Mary-Sue my OC's, especially Grace… I rather think she has an er, unique personality. Oh well, thanks for the input anyway : )

Hermione Puckle- Hehe, thanks for the abundance of enthusiasm! Reviews like that make my day : ) I'm happy you enjoyed it, thanks much for the review!

PrincessJulie-Potter- Hey… Nice name ; ) Ooh yes, it does take a while to read this huge bugger, sorry bout that, hehe. I'm very glad you enjoyed my story, I hope you like the future updates as well!

Romulan Empress- Hehe, yes, though that does mean I'm a ninnie ; ) Naw, actually I'd rather stick a lampshade on my head and sing Yankee Doodle than sit around sharing my innermost secrets… The former's just so much more fun. Ooh yes… Perhaps it is a love spell! Lol, thanks much for the review.

Tennistar514- Lol, yes, obsessions can become very humorous. My obsession for purple has actually crept into the story, did you notice? Okie doke, thanks much for the review!

SilverWolf-Ryuki- Hi! Ooh, what did JKR say about couples? I didn't see that. Ah… Is Grace inspired by me? A very good question. I think perhaps she's a reflection of what I'd like to be, maybe? I never really thought about it. But no, I'm not nearly as loud (or good at quidditch) as she. We both do love purple, though ; ) Ooh, I would _love_ to meet Sam, hehe. Oi, thanks for pointing out the mistakes! (And so kindly too, that's rare). Rantaneous, I love it! Ah yes… That one chapter was responding to five or six chapters worth of review responses, just to letcha know. Ah, well thanks sooo very much for all of the reviews, I really, really appreciate it. : )

Mystikalolo- Ooh yes, the ability to make someone feel spiffing is a very nice characteristic ; ) Hehe, when could we _not_ love Sirius? Thanks very much for the review!

Espergirl04- That's okay if you haven't reviewed in awhile, everyone has lives ; ) Thanks very much for this one though, it made me feel very good!

Erisedxdesire- I'm very glad you liked the chapter, hehe yes, poor Remus. Ooh, do you really think it'll be purple? That would be so awesome! And that whole color of royalty is a really good catch, too. Thanks so much for the review, as always it's very much appreciated!

Dangerously-benign- Hehe, yes, those kinds of stories tend to make me ill. Ack, I inspired somebody?! I'm so very glad I could, that makes me happy- let me know when you post so I can check it out. Ah, and thank you very much for understanding that updates may not be quick all of the time, I'd like to _think_ I have a life, anyway ; )

X4eyedblondiex- I'm glad you liked the introduction, and hope that you like the rest of it ; ) Thanks very much for the review!

Newsieduckling- Hehe, glad I could bring you so much joy! Thanks as always for your wonderful enthusiasm : )

Whiskeygirl- Oh lol, thanks for the birthday wish! I'm very glad you enjoyed my story, and don't worry, Lily will lighten up soon. Ah yes, Sirius is quite the loveable character, isn't he? Hm… I didn't give James a sister in this story, but it's very much a possibility. Yes, I did notice JKR used the same letters a lot… very curious, very curious indeed. Thank you very much for taking the time to read and review so much, I really appreciate it! Ooh, just got your review about adding another OC; I'll see what I can do ; )

**Peace.**


	51. An Abnormal Affection

Standing There By You

Chapter 51- An Abnormal Affection

**A/N: Phew... Made it through fifty chapters. Thanks for the much needed motivation, guys!**

**Also, 'brassed off' is another phrase for ticked off, or peeved, and bundimuns are a creepy-crawly green sort of creature. Just fyi ; )**

---

The first difference Lily noticed was the peculiar monochromaticity of the room.

While her own common room was decorated with a majority of their house colors as well, this one was like stepping into a sea of blue; sapphire pillows and cobalt rugs, wherever you glanced your eyes were sure to meet that persistent color.

The second thing she noticed was the bookcase.

"_Wow_," Lily breathed, absently shoving a red strand out of her eyes; she brushed past the half-arch they had entered through and moved towards the colorful spectrum of volumes and paperbacks. The shelves were rickety and aged: some sort of magic must've been holding them together.

"Oh, yes," Kirk said, doing his best to keep up with Lily as she flew along the shelves. "That's been here since Hogwarts was founded, I believe; my housemates are known to bring too many books with them."

Lily gave a slight nod in response, but her eyes remained scouring the novels. "Some of these are muggle," she commented, mostly to herself. "Oh... _The Scarlet Letter_, and ooh, all of Fitzgerald's works-- they don't have this kind of literature in the library."

"Nope," Kirk responded, looking rather proud. With a start, however, he noticed the dawning sun in a nearby window and looked up at an elaborate clock. "Don't you think we should get started on our homework? We only have an hour or so until dinner."

Lily frowned, but decided against reminding him that their essays weren't due until next Thursday. "Yeah, suppose so," she said, reluctantly turning from the abundance of books. Though, before Kirk could move towards the area they had set up for homework, Lily caught the sleeve of his robe. "Do you think I could perhaps... borrow a few? I promise to return them to you in top condition."

"Well, I suppose so," Kirk said. He chuckled quietly to himself. "Just don't tell the others."

"Right," Lily replied vaguely, spinning back to face the bookshelf. Frowning, she opened the flap of her carrier. "Hm... I do wish my bag was bigger."

---

"They were walking down the corridor together, blatant as two squawking parrots," James related that afternoon's nauseating events. He shook his head, looking as if he might be sick. "And they didn't even have the decency to duck and hide when I walked by!"

"How horrible," Sirius tucked a carefully wrapped piece of pie into his pocket and gave his friend a consoling punch in the shoulder. "And Lily seems like the _exact_ sort of person that would go out of her way to make you feel better."

James smirked at the sarcasm, rubbing the tender muscle Sirius had so boorishly cuffed. "He's not even intelligent," he informed him. "The only reason he gets good marks is because _he_ cheats off of _me_."

"Really?" Sirius said, eyes widening with feigned astonishment as he licked mulberry remnants from his fingertips. "Well that would explain why he gets higher marks than you in Charms." He cocked his head at James, "Oh wait, no it wouldn't."

"You spend too much time analyzing the technicalities, that's your problem Sirius," James informed his friend knowingly. "You see, he's just very, very good at cheating. That's what happens when you get a lot of practice."

Sirius yawned, deciding that counting the tiles they currently clambered over was a much more entertaining pastime than listening to his very repetitive friend. "Right," he said distractedly, concentrating hard on the quickly passing ground.

"It wouldn't bother me so much," James continued, oblivious to Sirius's lack of attention, "if I _knew _what sort of trick he pulled over her. That's the only possibility, you know. There's absolutely no way she would willingly choose him over me."

_Twenty-six, twenty-seven_, "Eh, I'm not so sure," Sirius said absently, careful not to neglect any of the flat stone tiles. _Thirty-two, thirty-three_, "I mean there is their similar, and not to mention disgusting, interest in studying."

James frowned. "Irrelevant."

_Thirty-five_, "And his remarkable blue eyes-,"

"Mine are _blue_." James scratched his head. "Almost."

_Thirty-seven, thirty-eight_-- Sirius skidded to a stop as a pair of black patent shoes stood in his way of counting the next tile. "Oh," he said, eyes traveling upwards and meeting a toe-tapping red head. He grinned. "Well here's a pretty little number."

Remarkably, Lily offered a good-spirited smile in return. "Sod off, Sirius," she replied cheerfully.

"Aren't you in a good mood," Sirius remarked, raising a brow at the curious demeanor.

"Don't be brash," she chided, before brushing past the boys and setting off down the hallway, a bit of a spring evident in her step.

"What was that?" James scrunched his nose in confusion. "I've never seen her so... happy."

Sirius began to shrug in response, but before he could finish he broke out into a series of mild chortles. "_I_ know what could make her so happy," he said deviously.

James's gaze flicked on either side of him in thought, before his eyes popped wide behind his glasses and he stumbled backwards ever so slight. "She's been--,"

"Snogging," Sirius finished for him, tone astonished and marked with disbelief. "Huh. Never would've thought the Ravenclaw had it in him."

---

"Flushed cheeks," Grace stated with escalating excitement, crawling across her bed to better view her friend. "Eyes brighter than normal... That dazed, dreamy look upon your face... Why Lily Evans, could it be true?"

"Yes," Lily replied earnestly, lips stretched as broad as they were capable as she nearly busted with delight.

"_Wow_," Julie said, hurrying over to her elated friend as well. "I can't believe you--,"

"Found all of these _books_!" Lily finished triumphantly, almost giggling in excitement as she un-did the flap of her carrier. "It was wonderful, as soon as I saw them I just couldn't contain myself--,"

Grace stared back at her friend as Julie stifled a giggle. "_Books_?" Grace admonished, mouth dropping in disbelief. "That's why you're so happy? We thought you'd been snogging!"

"_Ew_," Lily declared, almost dropping her bag in surprise. "That's disgusting! I've barely just met the boy and you want his spit to touch... _mine_?"

Grace sighed and fell back onto her bed, a small smile tweaking her lips. "Right, right, the mere thought is perplexing."

"Absolutely," Lily shuddered involuntarily. She shoved the topic aside. "Well anyway, have you given the ah... retribution any more thought?"

Julie smiled. "I still can't believe you want to do something." She tutted teasingly. "And a _Prefect_, after all."

Lily frowned at this remark. "Well... I can't just break my promise to Potter," she contended. "I guaranteed him we would provide just payback, and so I've got to follow through. It's for the sake of maintaining justice, after all."

"Right. And I was thinking," Grace continued, "that for an idea... we could ask one of them."

Lily and Julie both winced at the proposal. "Ask one of them?" Lily repeated. "Well that would sort of defeat the purpose, don't you think?"

"Not if they weren't aware of our motives," Grace interrupted swiftly.

Lily frowned. "But who would be dim enough…"

"Hey," Grace greeted, a slight smile noticeable upon her lips as she slid onto the tattered scarlet couch closest to the fire.

Peter jumped, eyes widening as they fell upon the familiar blue-eyed girl. "H-hi," he returned, scooting as far as possible towards the other end of the couch.

Grace bit back a laugh. "So, what're you doing? Homework?"

"Yeah," Peter crossed his arms uncomfortably, gripping his quill. "Erm, weren't you trembling with anger last time I saw you?"

Grace refrained from rolling her eyes at his bluntness. "Oh no, no," she assured him. "I'm completely over that. So, where are your friends?"

"Oh. Good, then." Peter smiled, obviously relieved she wasn't going to stick a dungbomb up his sleeves or anything of the sort. "Well Remus, he's," he cocked his head towards a large window facing the grounds, and Grace frowned, nodding knowingly. "Yes, and I think James and Sirius are in detention."

"Right," Grace nodded slowly. Another grin grew across her face and her eyes danced deviously. "Why are they in detention, do you know? Probably for some massive prank, right?"

"Er, no actually," Peter shook his head. "I think they just brassed off McGonagall."

Grace frowned. "Oh."

Peter's face suddenly brightened. "But speaking of massive pranks," he said, a smile spreading wide in recollection. "James and Sirius were just talking about-," suddenly his nose scrunched up suddenly, and after a few tantalizing huffs of breath he let out a vast sneeze.

"Bless you," Grace said hurriedly, leaning forward in anticipation. "So you were saying-,"

"Sorry," Peter said, blowing his nose in a dull white handkerchief. "I've caught a terrible cold."

"Really? How awful. So, that prank-,"

A large bout of coughs suddenly erupted from Peter; Grace groaned, thumping him impassively on the back. "All right there, Pettigrew?"

He nodded, clearing his throat. "Really should stop by the Hospital Wing. But that Madame Pomfrey, she really does tend to-,"

"Peter," Grace said sharply. Closing her eyes, she softened her voice, continuing, "So that prank, remember you were saying? Sorry, I just find it _fascinating_ the way your brilliant mind works."

"Oh it wasn't my-," Peter closed his mouth, reconsidering. "So it's really easy, right? But it's got a smashing result… Oh, I think I have some of our old notes here…"

"Brilliant," Lily muttered, shoving an unruly strand of hair behind her ear as she read and re-read Grace's hurried notes. "Getting them back with their own scheme… I _love_ it."

"A taste of their own medicine, eh?" Julie remarked giddily, as she and her friends hurried along the dimly lit hallway. She peered around. "Where do you suppose we should do it?"

"Here," Grace said, stopping abruptly before their Defense Against the Dark Arts room. "The Ravenclaws always arrive here before the Gryffindors, because we're coming all the way from Herbology; all we have to do is hurry to get here before the boys do and we're set."

Lily gave an affirmative nod. "Perfect." She brandished her wand and lowered herself to the ground, examining the area underneath the doorframe. "All right," she said, raising her wand-less hand behind her. "I wonder how this spell works... Do you have the notes?"

Grace complied, setting the rest of the notes in her outstretched hand. "Peter wasn't quite sure which spell they were going to use," she said, watching as Lily peered over the confusing scribbles. "You might have to try it a couple times."

An hour later the girls stood back to admire their work, and even though 'a couple times' had turned into twenty or thirty, they felt accomplished nonetheless.

As her friends pocketed their wands, Grace scuffed her shoe across the gradually fading gold line. "As long as we're quick tomorrow, everything should go as planned." She grinned at the two other girls. "Just keep to your toes in Herbology!"

After a few very frightening episodes- Professor Sprout came dangerously close to holding back Grace for an accident with exploding soil, and Julie smacked right into their Potions Professor and his briefcase along the way- the girls made it to their DADA room right on time; the Ravenclaws had all arrived, and the Marauders were, as usual, lingering behind.

"Hurry," Grace whispered, ushering Lily on as she pulled out her wand and swiftly pointed it at the ground about the doorframe.

"You two head in there," Lily instructed hurriedly, eyes darting back in forth in search of their professor. She scooted along the doorway and ducked inside the classroom, whispering the incantation and watching as the same glittering gold line raced across the floor. Pocketing her wand, she allowed a few seconds to smile at her work, before scrambling back to her seat. The girls straightened up and attempted to look as nonchalant as possible, as their professor came striding in only a few seconds after.

"Hello ladies," he smiled cordially at the three, not breaking his stride towards the front of the room.

The girls grinned tight-lipped at their professor. "Hello."

Lily elbowed Grace, who in turn poked Julie in the side. "They're coming," she told them, as the hurried footsteps of soon to be tardy boys sounded outside the classroom. The girls craned their necks inconspicuously to face the doorway. They surely weren't about to miss this.

---

"Honestly," Sirius said, turning around and walking backwards to face his friends. "The Whipping Whimsies are good for a laugh or two, but those dungbombs'll last a lifetime. I'll bet they've been around forever."

"Probably," James agreed, "but we-,"

_Smack_

Sirius swiveled on his heel to see what had caused the sound and his friend to stop talking so abruptly, but only resulted in creating a loud 'thunk' of his own and slamming onto the ground at record speed, Peter right behind him as he barreled into the unseen force soon after.

James lifted his head dazedly, only to glance up and see a classroom full his gaping peers and a particularly stunned professor. He opened and closed his mouth unsure of what to say, before directing his confused gaze over at Sirius.

His friend appeared baffled at the sudden shock as well, but soon enough he shrugged it off and hopped up to stand back on his feet. "Hogwarts," he scoffed loudly, looking around him and grinning. "Tricky, tricky." Chuckling softly, he puffed up his chest bravely and reached out a hand towards his friend. "C'mon James," he said, before turning to wink back at the class, "don't want to miss any Defense!"

James complied and jumped up beside his friend. "Right," he said, grinning as well. He and Sirius grabbed hold of their fallen books and drew their feet forward to parade back into the classroom.

Sirius promptly flew back five feet and James bounced back straight into Peter's arms. "Why, hello," Peter said, smiling down at his thwarted friend.

Stifled laughter began to filter about their classmates, and even a grin became apparent on their professor's lips. "Having trouble, boys?" he implored, intrigue dancing across his face.

"Just a bit," Sirius grunted, rubbing his bum tenderly. "What the bloody-,"

James, adamant and not one to be outdone by an invisible force-field, threw his head back and growled, rushing determinedly towards the doorway. Sirius cringed even before the blight sent him tumbling to the ground and into an awkward pretzel-like position. 'Ouch,' he mouthed, looking sympathetically over at his friend.

If any students weren't laughing before, they most certainly were now; three girls in particular found it _exceptionally_ hard to keep a straight face.

"Wait just a minute," Professor Fides said, just as James reared back in preparation of head-butting the invisible barrier. He held out a hand of caution, taking wary steps in their direction. "Don't hurt yourself, now."

James scowled at the remark as the class' chortles increased. "I could make it through if I wanted to," he muttered bitterly.

Professor Fides stopped two paces before the doorway, pondering his options. His stare fixed upon the wounded and quite grumpy boys, he exhaled and took a large step forward.

It took him a few seconds to realize nothing out of the ordinary had happened- he had made it across without any obstructions. Thinking now that perhaps the barrier only worked on those entering the classroom, the professor twisted around and stepped forward once again.

"Nothing happened!" Sirius said, jumping up and hurrying to follow his professor. "It's probably-," he cut off abruptly and landed on the ground with a resounding thud. "Nope... still there."

Professor Fides looked curiously upon the mysterious barrier, lowering himself to inspect the doorframe. He paused when his stare was met with a slightly fading, yet adamantly shimmering line of gold. "Oh," he said in surprise, running his finger across the faint line. "Looks like we found the problem; someone's conjured an Age Line." He looked up at the boys, "An Age Line is a powerful charm," he explained, "set up to prevent someone of a certain age from entering a specific area."

"Yes," James said slowly, glancing around at his friends. "We're familiar with it."

"This shouldn't be a problem," the professor assured them, "a simple reverse-incantation will take care of this. The line's a fairly weak one."

"_Weak_-,"

Grace kicked Lily hard in the shins and she cut off her protest, slumping in her seat in submission yet still appearing indignant. "Sorry," she whispered.

Professor Fides waved his wand and muttered a spell, effectively ridding of the line. "There you go, boys," he said, beckoning them over. "All safe now."

Sirius frowned. "You go first," he told Peter.

"What? Oh, no you- you go ahead."

James shook his head at the both of them, standing up and heading into the classroom. Instinctively, however, his body prepared for an immediate and harsh toss in the opposite direction, which caused him to stumble into the room unexpectedly and trip across the hard ground. "Yeah," he muttered gruffly, voice muffled slightly by the cool tile. "It's gone."

---

Remus despised hospitals.

Even though he couldn't clearly recall the previous night, the dull scent and stiff thin blankets told him exactly where he was. And as he regained feeling, harsh gashes and sore limbs reminded him exactly who he was.

He had been quite proud, actually, of his limbs this year. They seemed to have stretched over the summer, and while it provided more space for the pain to roam, he was particularly happy with the newfound stature. Now he at least roughly matched James and Sirius's heights, and he held a good three inches over Grace. He was admittedly very frightened last year when it had seemed she was growing at a faster rate than he.

He groaned inwardly as he thought of the latter party; this past weekend had been spent cursing name-brand ice cream and his remarkably large mouth. Brushing aside the less than pleasurable thoughts, he braved himself against the harsh sun, straining to open his eyes and propping himself up against his pillow.

The room seemed to be getting stuffier by the second, and so Remus decided with an achy stretch and a yawn that escaping to the adjacent and empty corridor for a few minutes was quite necessary.

Quietly, as to not alert Madame Pomfrey of his temporary departure, Remus slid out of his covers and began his journey across the cold tiled floor.

He managed to tip-toe safely along the length of the Wing, and let out a relieved breath as he entered the vast outside corridor.

Unfortunately, his happiness was short-lived.

"Mister _Lupin_," an all-too-familiar voice echoed across the halls. Remus sighed as the blur of stiff white cotton and clipboards came bustling toward him.

He considered bolting- he could easily outrun the overbearing nurse, and highly doubted he could earn a detention for refusing to stay in bed. There was the slight fact that he would have to go fleeing about Hogwarts in his night-wear, however.

He took too long analyzing this, and could only stumble back a few paces as Madame Pomfrey came upon him; it took him by surprise when he realized he had stumbled right over a silently snoozing body.

"You are in no shape to be up and about," she continued her barricade of admonishment. Remus, however, was too concerned with the groggy girl at his feet to listen. Halting her screechy speech when she realized her patient wasn't paying attention to her, Madame Pomfrey took notice of the girl as well.

"Miss Shadron," she spoke with livid astonishment. "Classes are still in _session_, are they not?"

Grace had to blink a few times to comprehend her surroundings, but only seconds later bounced up beside them quick and ready with an excuse. "Sorry Ma'am," she apologized hurriedly, "but I just came to tell you of a dreadful incident in the greenhouses--,"

Madame Pomfrey crossed her arms. "You were just sleeping."

"Yes... That's the point! You see this plant, the er, Slumberous Maximus, escaped from its airtight package and now half the class is dead asleep-- I was only slightly affected, so Professor Sprout sent me to fetch you. I almost made it before that curse of a leaf overcame me..." She lifted her large blue eyes to stare at the skeptical nurse. "Well, what are you waiting for? Your assistance is dire!"

That was all the young nurse needed to hear; the very next second she was dashing down the hall, summoning a few ointments and bottles and a very large book on her way.

Remus turned to Grace. "Slumberous Maximus?"

"I was under pressure," she said, but the small sly smile that might've turned her lips quickly switched to a frown. "Wonder how long I'll be in detention for..." She shrugged it off. "Oh well, with her searching all of the greenhouses it should at least give you fifteen minutes to catch a breath of fresh air."

Remus stared back at her dumbly. "Why are you here?" he asked, but then winced at the unintended harshness. "I mean--,"

"You weren't awake this morning like you usually are," Grace told him. "I came back during lunch and then Muggle Studies, but you were still asleep and it seemed as if Pomfrey was never going to leave the Hospital Wing."

Remus gave an unsure frown. "But... Why are you _here_? I mean, I- I thought you were mad at me."

"So you thought I wouldn't visit you?" said Grace, crossing her arms across her chest. When Remus didn't respond, she continued, "Well really, just because I'm mad doesn't mean I can't be worried." She shifted her weight as her gaze flicked over his own. "You looked horrible this morning, you know."

"Worse than usual?" Remus joked meekly.

"Yeah," Grace frowned and leaned against the wall, sliding down against the coarse bricks. "And," she let out a short breath and half-smiled at Remus, who had quickly joined her on the ground. "I'm not mad at you, really. We did give your foolish group what they deserved during Defense Against the Dark Arts, after all."

"Oh," Remus said simply, trying to hide how very relieved his was. "Well that's good, then."

"Yeah," Grace's smile broadened, "I'm really going to have to be on the lookout tomorrow, though."

Remus shook his head. "No you won't," he assured her hastily, "I won't let them do anything back to you, I promise."

Grace was quiet for a few moments, before finally responding, "You know, that's all right; it's kind of fun now. If you want to throw a few dancing or jelly leg hexes at us, I think we can manage."

"Oh," Remus blinked in surprise. His eyes creased as he smiled. "Well I've got a few tricks of my own too, you know."

"Mmm, good," Grace drew her knees closer towards her. "But just... no more spying, all right? If you have questions you could just... you know, _ask_ me," A lock of dark hair slipped across her face just then, but Remus could contend that before it had, a rare tint of pink had surfaced upon her cheek. No matter, his color was far worse.

"Right," he cleared his throat, as the squeakiness of his pre-teen voice unwillingly returned. Not surprisingly, he was especially grateful when Madame Pomfrey shouts greeted them from the other end of the hall, imposing upon and concluding their conversation.

---

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," James said, pacing the dormitory. "Gold shimmering line, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor- Peter, are you taking this down?"

Peter's head bobbed up to glance quickly at James. "Oh yes, yes of course..." He scrambled to reach for a scrap parchment and quill. "Go on."

"It was probably one of those pesky ghosts," Sirius suggested, staring at the pacing boy with an amused expression. He withdrew a tiny broomstick and held the lively thing tightly between two fingertips. "Don't get all worked up about it."

"Ghosts can't conjure incantations," said James, scratching the tip of his chin in concentration. He tilted his head. "Can they?"

"Remus!" was Sirius's response, straightening up on his bed and swinging his legs over the mattress.

James looked over at his friend. "_Remus_ wouldn't do that," he said dismissively, continuing his spherical trek around the dormitory. He paused. "Would he?"

"Yes, and I put a dozen bundimuns in your pants as well," came Remus's joking voice from the rear of the room.

James spun around. "Oh, sorry mate," he said, running a hand through his hair in a frustrated fashion. "Pomfrey finally let you loose?"

Remus's eyes lifted to the ceiling in exasperation. "After two hours of assuring her I was strong enough to walk the two corridors to my dormitory, yeah."

"You looked dead this morning," Sirius said, hopping off his bed and promptly prodding his friend in the head. "I had to roll you over a couple of times to see if you were still alive."

Remus chose to carefully ignore his friend's comment- everything was still a blur, as always, and he would rather not think about why he had such a terrible night. Looking across the room, he found an easy way to evade the remark. "Why is our friend doing laps around the dormitory?"

The two boys glanced over at their methodically treading friend. "It was bad, mate," Sirius said, voice dark with recollection. "I've never had a Defense class that I've loathed so."

"Someone put up an Age Line!" James said, not pausing still. "Can you believe it? We all got beat up by an invisible wall in front of the entire class."

"Huh," Peter piped up softly.

James looked over at him. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," Peter said, lifting his quill to chew on the tip of it. Between nibbles, he continued, "It's just funny; I was just talking to someone about _our_ plans for the Age Line."

Sirius's head jerked up and his lack of concentration caused the mini-broom to escape and zoom around his head. "You... told someone about that, Pete?" he asked slowly.

"Sure did."

James shifted his weight heavily, narrowing an eye at Peter. "And who exactly might that've been?"

Peter looked over at Remus. "Your girlfriend asked me about it," he said, and then smiled at the rest of them. "She said it was a _very_ brilliant scheme."

Remus's lips twitched, but he managed to maintain a nonchalant expression. "Oh?" he asked, feigning surprise. It was quite humorous watching his two friends reaction to Peter's statement; the room practically echoed with the sound of the wheels turning in their brains.

James emitted a strangled, inhuman sound. "Bloody-- The _girls_ were behind this?"

Sirius shook his head in disbelief, not even noticing as the tiny broom skimmed the surface of his hair and roughly tangled into it. "They went for the weak link," he sighed. "Very low, but admittedly, very ingenious."

"Weak link?" Peter looked from Sirius to James. "Who's the weak link?"

James gazed back at his friend, eyes glinting with that dazed, scheming sort of look. "You know," he began, lips turning to form that infamous Marauder grin. "We just may be able to use this to our advantage."

---

**A/N: Hello again! Well, I have to say that I am torn. I received two reviews saying how much they appreciate the individual thank-you's, but then someone also requested that I scratch it. I was worried that the responses were getting a bit too much, so let me know what you think. I don't mind responding, but I don't want to do it if it bothers too many... Hm. A predicament indeed. **

Sapphire039- Gah... They're still together. Every couple has their fights and Grace is just too cool to hang something like that over his head ; ) Ooh, good luck on your pyramid! (Even though it was due two weeks ago, jeesh I _am _such a procrastinator, aren't I?)

Dance-flirt- I know, it's sad when you can't hate the 'bad' guy. But don't worry : ) The situation will get better, I promise. Glad you liked it, thanks for the review!

Elven Dagger- Best review _ever_. See... No one's ever really said anything about the difference between my first and last couple of chapters, which had me a tad shaken because when I re-read the first year I was very disgusted : / But thanks very much for the astoundingly feel-good review, very much appreciated!

Kaibas-Rose- Your review was soo awesome... and it was completely contradictory to another review I received, too ; ) Well the majority of it anyway. I'm really glad you appreciate it because I'm kinda torn right now, but I guess you read about that in my A/N up there Thanks so much for the kind words!

Appleopolis- Hello! Don't worry, Grace and Remus are AOK. I'm glad you don't mind Kirk- I agree that she'd probably have more boyfriends. Thanks for the review : )

Padfootz- Ah, glad you liked it so much : ) Thanks bunches for the kind words as always, much appreciated!

Heather- Hello! Thanks very much for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it : ) Here's more for you, sorry I made you wait so long.

Erisedxdesire- Yup, red would be very cool too. Right, I'm glad someone else has recognized the fact that they don't date until seventh grade ; ) Thanks for the awesome words!

Under-the-Moonlight- Ah, hello Norbert/Carrots! Hehe that's okay, I change my mind a lot too ; ) Glad you like my ideas, thanks much for the review!

Newsieducking- Thanks much : ) I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but I _love_ your penname. Very cute.

Mystikalolo- Ah, sorry you didn't love it : ( I know, I know... but honestly, these are very strong-minded-I-am-woman-hear-me-roar girls, no? Hehe, well as you can see everything is AOK now. Thanks for the review!

Tears-Of-Love-Tears-Of-Hate- Hello : ) I'm glad you liked the Sherlock part (I think you spelled it right... Hopefully cause I'm just copying what you wrote : p) Thanks very much for the lovely review!

SeCrEt LiLy- Hm... Good question. Actually, I do not know yet ; ) But I'm sure we'll all find out it due time. Ah, glad we could share a similar pastime! Hehe, thanks much for the review.

Kylie- Lolio... Read further m'dear : )

Raven, Januarye, Key, Kaedae- Ah yes, she does sound like Hermione, doesn't she? Hm... Not sure if that's good or bad. Sorry about the poll thing, that was a little while ago ; ) Thanks for the reviews!

Windowseat Wonderer- Yes, how they got hold of Ben and Jerry's is behind me, as well ; ) Well we will never truly understand the depths of Hogwarts, will we? Hmm... Thanks so much for the inspirational words, as always they're very, very appreciated.

0,0- Hehe, rilliant works too. Thanks very much for the review!

Ninde Annare- Ah yes, I very much agree about Lily and James too. Thanks so much for the wonderful words, they're always appreciated and received with the utmost affection : )

Angel Street- Hey, what can I say... A busy life is a busy life. I tried to update a longer chapter, I hope it sufficed!

Sblomie- Ah, thanks for the round of applause! Hehe a best selling novel? Maybe one day... Gah, that is an unnatural hour, go back to bed.

MooningOverMoony- Oh yes, I've had those strange looks from my parents as well ; ) Ah, hope you did okay with that newspaper article, sounds interesting. And yes, you deserve a star : ) Oh... Hey I put a star by your name, but I just realized it won't show up when I upload. Well here, I hand you several cyber stars instead.

BlueSeal- Glad you took some time out to read my story, good luck with that homework thing.. yuck. But hey, we _SO_ aced AP Gov! Boo yah to the max.

Emps- Glad you liked it : ) Thanks for the review!

Molly- Oh, hehe... Well maybe I meant to say that ; ) Thanks very much for the review, I'm glad you liked the British lingo!

Grey Fox- Hello! Spain, that's really awesome. I was supposed to go there for school but I think the trip got cancelled. Your English seems very good to me, that one saying is really close but it's 'in James's shoes'. Speaking of... Wow! You have a relationship like Lily and James's? I do hope it turns out okay in the end... James ended up with marriage and a baby boy, so hey you never know ; ) Thanks for the review, I think it'd be interesting to talk to you, too!

Jackyskipskip- Yes, yes, dumb indeed. Poor James and his dumbness : (

Whiskeygirl- Don't worry, Lily didn't drown James. Yet. : ) Lol yes, a sister would be a very big plot change. I'm not quite sure if I could put you in any time soon, I really have to tweak it a bit first. Thanks for the review though!

IamSiriusgirl- Hehe, hopefully this was your 'definition of long'. Thanks very much for the wonderful words (corking, I love it!)

Apotterlover- Ooh, glad you like Kirk! Thanks very much for the review : )

DobbyGrl- Ah, I understand about the too much homework ordeal : / Schools tough, blech. Thanks very much for taking the time to share your input, though, I appreciate it much!

Lily Jane- Hehe, it's okay if you despise Kirk, just as long as you understand : ) Ack, I'm counting down, too! Thanks very much for the review.

Jade- Haha, I don't think anybody else would like that very much ; ) Oh yes, I am a 'peace' addict. What can I say? Nothing. I can say nothing. Hey guess what: We had another snowday today! Tee-hee.

MissBlueAngel- 50!? Goodness gracious. I'm glad you got it down to five, that would have been _very_ strenuous on your poor eyes. Ooh, I forgot you told me about that one-shot, I'll go check it out after I get a chance to upload this sucker.

Stridergal Silvertongue- Thanks : ) Nice name, by the way.

Ieyre- Yes, it does suck to be James : ( Even though he _does _have very wonderful cheekbones. Ah, and Sirius is much too... Sirius, and Julie is much too much of an underdeveloped character (which will hopefully change sometime soon) but either way, they're both heading in opposite directions. Nice and active imagination, though ; p

Yvonne- Hehe, glad to know I have support in my procrastination. Thanks very much for the kind words, they're always very appreciated : )

JKRobsessed- Yes, I realized that too : / I admit that chapter was written in a very rushed fashion, and even when I went to re-read it I didn't quite understand. Ah, and you flatter me about having the whole story written out... Sometimes I don't even know what's going to be in the next chapter until I sit down to type it ; ) Well anyway, thanks much for the review!

M-girls- Glad you like : ) Enthusiasm greatly appreciated!

Sister Golden Hair- I hope I finish this story too! Congrats about the guy... I can't remember if I responded to it last chapter because you reviewed chapter 49 with the info but it might've been right after I updated. Well anyway, thanks much for the review!

Ilirium- Thanks... I'm kinda astounded myself that so many people will take the time to review my story. Oh, and I'm really glad you understand about the whole dating-before-James thing... Chuck, I have an inside joke about that too! Ooh and I'm glad you appreciate the review responses; that is a topic I'm considerably torn on. Hey, you seem like an awesome person too : )

Sweet Sarcasm- Hehe yeah I know, school does hinder fanfiction goodness. Sorry Grace seems annoying, I'll try to tweak her a bit so she doesn't ; ) Give her a break though.. her boyfriend was just _spying_ on her after all, I think I would wallop him with an umbrella too.

SilverWolf-Ryuki- Ah, well then I guess I won't be meeting Sam then ; ) I'm really glad you liked it, thanks much for the wonderful review!

DestinyofInsanity- Hello! ::Drumroll:: Grace has... Black hair. Who won the argument? I was going to make her have blonde hair, but she's pretty and the outgoing one of the group, so I thought blonde hair would make her unique and not so cliché. Thanks so much for the review!

Stargazer920- Lol, yes there's a lot to read through. Hope you liked it!

Luv-nave- Hehe, glad I could make you laugh so much : ) And yes, the first cut is the deepest (now that song will be stuck in my head forever) but anyway, thanks much for your review!

JSRfan- Thanks for wishing me luck, I really need it. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, thanks for the ongoing motivation!

Armith-Greenleaf- Wow, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! Thanks for taking the time to read all fifty chapters and then review, I really appreciate it. Interesting penname by the way, does it concern LotR?

Abby- Hehe don't worry, I'm dodging the rotten veggies as well. I'm really glad you like Kirk, or at least the idea of him. Thanks much for the review : )

Sallymander- I'm really glad you enjoyed those chapters, and that I could provide you amusement : ) Yes, he does have wonderful friends, doesn't he? Thanks very much for the reviews, much appreciated!

Steph xp- I'm glad you liked the first section of this monster, thanks very much for the encouragement : ) I hope you enjoy the rest!

Milocachica- Ooh, your timing is impeccable m'dear. Don't worry, Snape will show up sometime soon. I'm really glad you're enjoying it, thanks much!

Dangerously-benign- Hm, sorry about the bad punctuation : / I'll get right on that. I am glad you think I've improved since the beginning, though. Wow, thanks for saying such kind words and expressing such enthusiasm... it makes me feel mucho great : )

Courtney83- Hello! I'm very glad you enjoyed the chapter, despite its terse length. Many thanks for the inspirational words, they really keep me motivated to write more : )

Lady Irony- Well, this is kind of odd writing a response to you, seeing as your review asked to shorten the excessiveness, but I didn't want to leave anyone out ; ) Thanks, though, because I really appreciate honest input. I'm glad you like the story as well, the contribution is appreciated.

Lizzi, Elizabeth- I'm glad you like it : ) Wow, your birthday is July 16?? What a wonderful birthday present... You can get the sixth book and have birthday cake on the same day! Hehe, well thanks very much for the review.

Piper-Loves-Leo- Wow, I'm very glad you enjoyed this chapter so much : ) It's always nice to know you made someone laugh. Your reviews are much appreciated, thanks!

RavenSiriusBlack- Oh my, that was a _very_ crazy review. But that's okay, because you're one crazy chica ; ) Thanks for the delivering the wonderful wackiness that always makes me smile.


	52. A Beckon, a Brew, and Much More Blue

Standing There By You

Chapter Fifty-Two- A Beckon, a Brew, and Much, Much More Blue

**A/N: For once I don't really have anything to say. Hm, well I just watched _What Women Want _and it was cute : ) **

**-**

_The Pleasure of Your Company is Requested_

_For Marietta Aubine's First Annual Holiday Extravaganza_

_On the twenty-fourth of December, nineteen seventy-four_

_Located on LeBleu Lane, of Bordeaux, France_

_Owl R.S.V.P_ _by the twenty second of November;_

_Necessary maps and floo instructions provided upon request_

"An _extravaganza_," Grace said delightedly, "I've never been to one of those before!"

Julie's longwispy locks whipped around as she twisted quickly to face her friend. "What did you say?"

Grace waveda lavish invitation in the air, holding it up for both Julie and Lily to see. "An owl just dropped this off," she said, peering down at the ornate pressed parchment. She handed it over to Julie. "It's addressed to you."

Lily hopped off the end of her bed, peering over Julie's shoulder as she read. "Wow," she said, glancing up at Grace, "the gold script's been charmed to glisten- _oh_, and look at the gold poinsettia's growing along the edge..."

Julie smiled and slipped the invitation onto the nightstand behind her. "Yeah," she said, perching on the edge of her mattress. "Mum always has to be so formal."

"Your mother's hosting an _extravaganza_?" Lily asked, eyes flickering bright with astonishment. "That's amazing..." She gave a distant smile and rocked on the balls of her feet. "Will there be lavish gowns? Oh... And large, white stallions leading carriages across a calm, misty meadow,"

Julie giggled. "Well there'll be gowns and all, but I'm not quite sure about the white stallions and misty meadows. Though you never know, mum has a knack for turning something simple into something very..."

"Magnificent?" Grace supplied.

Lily crawled onto the bed as well. "Exclusive? Grand?"

Julie gazed back at both of her friends. "Erm, yes. All of those things." She leaned back against the bedpost and continued, "But you know, it isn't really all that spectacular. I have to get all dressed up- and not to mention help Rebecca get ready too, getting her stockings on is _torture_- and there's always so many people there, I mean,"

"_We'll_ come then!" Grace offered, smiling eagerly at her friend. "You know, we can help you with your sister and keep you company- well if you don't think your mum will mind, that is."

"Oh," Julie habitually tugged at her ponytail. "I,"

"It'll be fun," Lily prodded, eyes sparkling still as she glanced between the invitation and Julie. "Don't you think? I've _never_ been to a party like this before."

With a sigh, Julie gradually allowed a smile to spread across her face, wiping away any previous hesitation. "Well, all right then. I'm sure mum won't mind... There's going to be too many people for her to notice, anyway."

-

Peter looked down at the small slip of parchment he clasped tightly, the paper worn and weathered from the short time he had handled it; though this didn't matter, as long as the glistening ink was not smudged and tall script still legible. And yes, he was proud to say, James's distinct penmanship was _quite_ understandable. Well most of it, anyway.

Just as Peter got to pondering how exactly his friend's writing curved so gracefully in just the right places and swept flawlessly in the rest, he realized his own two scuffling feet weren't the only pair echoing in the formerly vacant wing.

Peter turned quickly to view the approaching company, and with a start found three familiar figures making their way toward him. Luckily, though, they didn't appear to have noticed him, giving him just the advantage he needed. Scurrying to the side, he took cover behind a large statue and pulled out the tattered parchment, placing it discreetly in the crook of his hand. Then, taking a sizeable breath for bravery, he stepped out into sight just as the three girls passed by, prepared to take the calm, casual approach his friends had instructed them to.

"'Ello!"

The three Gryffindor girls jumped at the sudden greeting, Lily dropping two of her books and Julie stumbling into Grace, effectively elbowing her in the stomach.

"Peter," Grace admonished, once she had gained back her breath from the unexpected blow, "You don't just jump out at people like that... What if I had been Professor Binns? He has a bad heart, you know."

"It's true," Lily nodded, looking up at the pair of them as she bent down to retrieve her fallen books. "And he has been looking rather peaky lately."

"Sorry," Peter apologized, attempting not to act nervous or edgy. "Didn't mean to be so loud."

Julie looked up at the boy with a reassuring smile. "That's all right Peter, no harm done. Did you need something?"

"Yes I did," he replied, and taking a deep breath, turned to face Grace. "James told me to fetch you," he spoke very slowly, pronouncing each syllable with care. "The captain has just gotten through with him and now he wants the Chasers to practice the Reverse Pass and Woollongong Shimmy, before the game against Ravenclaw."

Grace raised a brow. "The Woollongong Shimmy in _three_ days? He's nutters!"

Peter shrugged. "I'm just the messenger."

Grace sighed and glanced over at her friends. "You two go off to dinner," she told them. Rolling her eyes exasperatedly toward the heavens, she continued, "I'll see you in an hour or two, if I'm lucky." Her friends responded with sympathetic smiles and a wave, before joining the few lingering students that were heading off to dinner.

Grace started in the opposite direction and set off for one of Hogwart's familiar winding staircases, planning to hurry and grab her practice clothes and perhaps a pair of warmer socks. As October neared its end, the warm fall weather began to yield to the blistery conditions of winter and practice became bitterer with each passing day.

"Erm, Grace," Peter said, interrupting her as she pondered whether to wear her mohair socks or wool.

Grace jumped – she hadn't heard him join her. "Yes?" she asked, slowing down a bit.

Peter cleared his throat, taking a moment to glance at the parchment before he began the prepared conversation. "Oh, nothing really. I was just wondering if you knew where I could find any Sterniment Solution; I've been looking all over and I can't seem to find a single drop anywhere."

"Oh?" Grace inquired curiously, craning her neck to peer at him. "I'm not quite sure... Any particular reason you need it?"

Peter straightened up, tugging at his robes and swallowing hard. "James, Sirius and Remus have sent me to fetch a batch of it while they find erm, _something_ in the Transfiguration room. So, you're certain you haven't seen any of it?"

"No, sorry," Grace shook her head. "I've never even heard of it."

"Oh," Peter said, trying to hide a persistent smirk that threatened to tweak his lips; his performance had gone off without a hitch! "Well, see you around then, good luck at quidditch." With a pathetic little breath for good measure, Peter set off trotting down the hallway, waiting until he got at least halfway down before ducking behind another pillar. From where he hid he could view Grace lingering where they had previously stood, looking torn and silently deliberating her options. Finally, with a face expressionless in the dim light of the corridor, she twisted around rapidly and proceeded quickly to the left- interestingly enough, the exact opposite of the direction she had been heading before.

-

Grace skipped over a trick step and hopped quickly to dart across the upcoming hallway- she knew very well that the captain would be furious if she was late to practice, and an emergency one at that, but she had a sneaking suspicion that the boys had found out about the Age Line and were concocting something less than pleasant... on their behalf. Besides, if she was quick she'd miss a mere ten minutes at the most.

As she neared McGonagall's room Grace quieted the sound of her footsteps, careful not trip over any of the loose flags or disturb any miscellaneous magical creatures. Leaning against the course brick wall, she slid artfully along the surface of it until she was only two feet from the slightly ajar door. Craning her head, she bent forward to listen.

"A canister or one of Filch's ancient buckets," James decided; the sound of his set voice was soon followed by the hasty scratching of a quill tip. "That should be adequate enough to hold it all."

"A demulcent," Remus's voice hinted at intrigue. "How are you going to manage that?"

Sirius's chair grinded against the floor as he presumably stood up beside Remus. "That's just the base of it," he told him. "A demulcent's just profitable when you want to relieve pain or irritation. Though with the proper adverse solution that nonsense will be virtually non-existent and something _much_ more appropriate – and not to mention humorous- in its stead. D'you think Peter's found a bottle of that Sternument mess yet?"

"I hope so," James said, and the scratching of the quill came to a sudden stop. "You told him it was in the second greenhouse, didn't you?"

Sirius took a few moments to answer. "I think I might've told him the third, actually. But he's got to have enough sense to check the next one over, don't you think?"

"Yeah," said James, the quill sounding once more. "Just as long as we get it - without that solution we'd end up pouring three buckets full of rejuvenating lotion on the girls. What a waste _that _would be."

A small gasp escaped Grace's lips, but she quickly covered her mouth before the boys could take notice of her. Before she could celebrate discovering the boys' scheme, however, she had to get to that solution before Peter did. Spinning around, she set off for the grounds once more, this time not minding about warm socks or sweaters.

"Well," Sirius popped his head out the doorway just in time to watch Grace disappear up the stairwell. "I'd say I deserve at least _three_ awards for that."

-

Julie held the heavy crystal cruet in a gentle grasp, eyeing the powdery contents curiously and carefully shifting it this way and that. "I don't understand," she said, looking up at Grace with large eyes magnified by the amplifying thickness of the glass. "Why did you nick this? Won't Professor Sprout be upset?"

"Never mind that," Grace waved a dismissive hand. "We can dump out the contents and return it to her tomorrow- it was all dusty, I'm sure it hasn't been touched for years."

"Right," Lily frowned at the bottle. "So what do you need it for?"

An excited smile spanned across Grace's face. "I overheard the boys talking," she said, "just before dinner- they need this solution for a trick they were going to try and pull on _us_... Can you believe the luck? Though I did I miss practice; I was only ten minutes or so but by the time I got back the pitch was completely empty."

"Absolutely brilliant," Lily said, grinning. "Good work, I'd love to see their faces when they find they're missing their key ingredient."

"Yes," said Grace, "and now we can get them back with their own scheme! Imagine they're faces _then_, why don't you?"

Lily's eyes flicked up hastily to meet Grace's. "You think we should pull the entire trick? I don't know Grace, this one will be _really_ obvious it was us- the other was passable as Peeves; and where were they planning to do it, the hallway? All of the teachers would see..."

"Oh come on," Grace prodded, looking at each of her friends in turn. "This is much too good to pass up!" Her gaze stayed on Julie. "Don't you think?"

"I- well," she looked from one friend to the next, "We did just do that whole Age Line thing, so we really _are_ even with them..."

Grace slumped against her bedpost. "I suppose you're right," she relented grudgingly. "We got them back well enough in Defense Against the Dark Arts, anyway." She worriedly allowed an anxious smile. "And I already have a detention Friday; I'm lucky I didn't get Sprout, she was livid mad when Pomfrey came barging in and disrupted her class with the first years."

Julie laughed, looking around at Lily and snatching the crystal cruet she loosely beheld. "What is this stuff, anyway?" she asked, squinting curiously at the fine, powdery contents. "I've never heard of the Sterniment Solution before."

"Neither have I," Lily reached across the bed to have a look at it for herself. Finding no label or other inclination of its purpose, she frowned and let the bottle rest on her bed. "I can probably find it in one of my books, though." Her top half disappeared as she bent backwards and fumbled about the floor, but re-emerged moments later with a large red book in tow. "Let's see," she muttered, crossing her legs and flipping through the pages. "Stamochosus, Stellicidium... Ah, here we go: Sterniment Solution- Colorless powder taken from the Billowcheks in the early 17th century, et cetera, et cetera..." her eyes brightened as she turned the page and read further, "When in contact with water this magical substance will transform into whatever shape the beholder imagines it to- oh, I've heard of this before! It's a remarkably powerful concoction... You know, I'll bet it wouldn't hurt it we tested a bit."

"Ooh, all right," Grace leaped off the end of her bed and moved to fetch a cup full of water. "Can we make it look like Alden Alexander?" She smiled over her shoulder. "He's been on the Chudley Cannons for three years, and his biceps _clearly_ show it."

Lily laughed as her friend returned with the water. "I'm not sure it gets that detailed... Actually, I'm not sure how it works in general; from what I've heard it's coppice, forest-like and such, very primeval. Here, hand me the water."

Julie reached across and passed the water from Grace to Lily, and then watched as her friend dumped a small puddle of water on the dresser and moved to clutch the solution.

"I'm not sure how much I should use," Lily frowned down at the vial. "I suppose a few shakes should do it." She clutched the elaborate glass in one hand and attempted to twist off the plug with the other. Having conquered the small task, she placed the rubber stopper on the edge of the table and tipped the container so that a small amount poured into the palm of her hand. "It should have an instant reaction, I believe, if,"

"Lily," Julie's eyes widened, "look at your hand!"

"What," Lily looked down, and started when she saw the lump of the formerly color-less powder spreading magically across her hand; as if instigated by mere oxygen it rapidly turned blue, changing the skin it traveled along with it. "Oh!" she cried, hurrying to wipe the powder from her hand. This only succeeded in spreading the vivid color onto her other hand as well, and sprinkling small morsels that specked lightly across her nose and brow.

Grace grimaced at the effect and hastened forward to assist... Unfortunately at the precise moment Julie decided to as well.

Even the minute floating particles seemed to stop. "Oh," Julie finally spoke, daring to open her eyes and view the multihued collision. "_Oh_..."

Lily lifted her arms, shaking off excess powder and watching as it slid off and left a bright layer of blue in its wake. "Well," she managed, voice strained and slightly squeaky. "The book didn't say anything about that happening."

Grace inched her hand behind her and grasped for the book. "Er, Lily..." she said hesitantly, peaking over the book at her very colorful friend. "I think these ah.. pages were sort of stuck together..." she cringed as she looked back down at the reading. "You read the last half of an entirely different concoction."

Lily remained still. "Oh," she spoke forcibly calm. "What was the correct half, then?"

"It turns the skin it surfaces blue," she stated the obvious fact. "And then," she winced, "it turns very, _very _itchy. Sort of like an advanced muggle itching powder, I'd say."

"Oh bugger," Lily barely had the time to utter, before the heavy itching sensation reacted across the blue skin from her elbow to her wrist. "Oh _bugger_."

Julie jumped as her friend knocked into her in a mad rush for the small bowl of water, of which Grace barely had time to warn would only increase the urge to scratch. "Ugh!" she shrieked, clawing vigorously at the vivid indigo layer. "Oh my Word- this is the worst, I've never- _ugh_,"

"Here," Julie said frantically, flapping the book madly in attempt to circulate fresh oxygen about her. "M-maybe this will help."

"No," Grace grabbed the book back, "it'll only make it _bluer_."

Lily hopped up and began performing a frantic dance, eyes popping wildly and creating an overall aura of hysteria. "You know," she said through gritted teeth, "Maybe getting them back _isn't_ such a horrible idea."

-

James ducked underneath the ill-furnished desk, taking advantage of his rare early arrival and fishing inside his pack to retrieve what seemed, to most, an ordinary hand mirror. He tapped it several times and beckoned his friend with a firm voice, but when several minutes later he still hadn't received a response, he tucked it away and resorted to leaning with a bored sigh against the back of his chair.

"I think I can come up with something to help relieve you of your boredom," a chipper voice offered from above. James looked up to see his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher smiling down at him and holding out a heaping pile of parchments. "Grade everything up to question forty," he instructed, setting the pile on top of the desk. "Don't worry about the essays- I'll have to look those over myself."

James cringed at the pile of parchments. While a detention with Fides beats one with Fluent or McGonagall any day, the pile of exams was enormous and it would surely take him hours to trudge through them all. "Professor," he called hesitantly, and the young instructor turned around to face him. "Sorry sir, it's just I have quidditch in an hour and a half and the match is this weekend, by the time I get through all of these,"

"Ah, don't worry," Professor Fides said, walking onward. "You'll have help."

Before James could question his professor, a loud entrance distracted him from the back of the room. "Sorry," Grace said breathlessly, bustling across the room and tossing her bag next to the seat beside James's. She crammed faintly blue speckled hands further into her pockets. "We had a bit of a erm, crisis in the dormitory."

"Quite all right," said Professor Fides. "James, if you could instruct her please?"

James nodded and turned to raise an interested brow at his company. "Detention, Shadron? Remus is starting to have a bad effect on you."

Grace rolled her eyes and reached for a pile of tests. "Just tell me what to do, would you? I don't want to be late to practice." James relented and relayed the instructions to her, handing her several more papers in the meantime so his pile was considerably less. "Do you know what happened yesterday?" she asked, sliding the papers back into his pile. "When I arrived at the Pitch everyone had already left."

"Oh..." James shifted his gaze and decided now would be a good time to start grading the papers. "Nope, no idea."

Grace shrugged and turned back to her own pile, just as Professor Fides began talking once more on the other side of the room. Both parties brought their eyes up to look at him, but found he was discussing something with another student they hadn't noticed enter the room.

James's eyes narrowed. "What's _he_ doing here?" he muttered sourly.

"Contact me after classes tomorrow, then," Professor Fides said over his shoulder, readjusting a large bag as he moved toward the back of the room. He directed his gaze at James and Grace. "And just bring the tests up to my desk when you're finished. I'll be two classrooms down if you need me." A few strides later and he had departed into the hallway.

James crossed his arms. "Isn't this ironic?" he called, voice ringing in the emptiness of the room. "A snivel devoted to the Dark Arts studying in the shadows of the Defense room. What are you doing, spying to get a peak of what the good side looks like?"

Severus remained rapt in the task of what looked to the others as a whole bunch of pointless writing. "Oh just grade the papers," Grace said, marking a large X while she spoke. "Really helps rid of stress, actually."

James scowled. "I can't concentrate with that _filth_ in the room. What are you doing here, Snivellus?"

Finally Severus broke his intense staring match with the desk and lifted his eyes toward James. "None of your business, Potter," he snapped briskly. When James did the inevitable and disobliged, opening his mouth to send back another rebuke, Severus hastened to interrupt him. "Go on, or is it too hard for you to concentrate on a few first years' examinations? I know, the big words must be _excruciating_."

James was out of his chair in about 1.2 seconds. "Sod off, Snivelly," he said, moving swiftly across the room. Severus hovered his hands protectively over his books and papers, looking back at James with darting eyes. "What are you working on, there?" James inquired, reaching a hand easily through the boy's feeble barricade.

"Don't be an idiot," Grace's voice rang irritably from across the room. "The team will have your head if you do anything to get booted from the game."

"Stuff it Shadron," James growled, staring away from her and down at Severus's scattered parchments. "Why so secretive?" he asked. "Hiding something?"

Severus kept his gaze fixed on his guarded papers. "I wouldn't want you to worry your precious little head over a piece much too grueling for you to ever under,"

"You _blistering_,"

"Did you need a quill, James?"

The boys whipped around at the sound of their professor's voice, both having momentarily forgotten their settings and caught off-guard by the unusual question. "I," James began to respond, but not quite sure how, "I-er,"

Professor Fides shrugged a shoulder. "Well that's the only reason I could imagine why you would get out of your seat," he said. "If circumstances were ideal you would be continuing through the papers, but as you must have lost your quill or ran out of ink, you have risen from your chair and requested Severus's assistance. Is that correct?"

"Yes," James responded, even though it was clear to all the room's occupants Professor Fides knew very well he had not ran out of ink or anything of the sort. "But I've uh- found one now, so I'll just get back to my seat." He did as he had said he would, but not before sending a dark look in Severus's direction and vowing to himself he would find out what the boy was up to.

-

**A/N: Sorry this chapter cut off kinda weird, if I had continued with the rest it would've been terribly long and a very extended waiting period. I'll fill you in on the rest next chapter though... As yes and finally, thanks to all my lovely reviewers : )**

Dulcis- Wow. So you like, totally owe me your life now. It's all right, a prom dress will suffice. Or chunky peanut butter!

Amaya- Hello! Thanks very much for your kind words and understanding, they're both very much appreciated : )

HPprincess13**-** Ah, thanks for the awesome inspiration : ) Yeah I kinda like when an author writes responses too, it's fun hehe. Thanks much for your input!

Secret Lily**-** Glad you liked the weak link reference, and the responses too. As always the great reviews are so very much appreciated, thanks!

Sister Golden Hair- Thanks for the input : ) Yes the name is cool. Does it have any meaning behind it?

Erisedxdesire- Nope, he really doesn't deserve being a werewolf : ( Oh, you're story's really good by the way! I know, it is hard work isn't it? But it's worth it, don't worry. Thanks much for the review!

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Espergirl04- Ahh, good luck on the test. Did you like that book? I haven't read it yet, and my friend was iffy about it. Well I'm glad my story could help relieve you of your awful homework, I hope this chapter does as well!

Tears-Of-Love-Tears-Of-Hate- Hmm, I don't quite remember if you reviewed last story or not, but either way that's okay. Everyone is busy, busy. (Including me, gah) Well thanks for the review, much appreciated!

Imperius Curse- Hm, well I do disagree with you on a few points. Lily chewed out James in OotP for "...hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can..." so my guess is they are quite 'stupid' enough to hex someone from their own house. Also, if you think Lily is a hypocritical Prefect and she's too Hermione-ish, then why would you not like me having her involved in more rebellious things? And as for the point you stressed that JKR showed people like her don't have friends, in the end Hermione was still Hermione, and she ended up with two very good friends. I don't know, I guess it just depends on how you look at things.

Armith-Greenleaf- Thanks for your congratulations! Wow, I'm really glad it's your favorite : ) That makes me feel awesome. Ooh yes, I do like LotR (and Legolas too, hehe) but I'm not quite sure who my favorite character is. Oh no, I've always been terrible at riddles... Um, is it Nicaragua? Hehe sorry, I really have no idea. Thanks very much for the awesome review!

MooningOverMoony- Hmm. I never once considered the word count, actually. Though I think if someone got about ¼ of the way they'd realized where a lot of the words come from, so I don't think it's really dishonest... I didn't know people really cared about the word count. Ooh yes, my beta's reading that right now, actually. She likes them too : ) Thanks very much for your input, as always it's really very appreciated!

Courtney83- Ooh, don't worry. Those two characters are going to come up very soon, actually. Thanks for noticing, and for the lovely review as well : )

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IamSiriusgrl- Slumberous Maximus was actually making fun of one the driving school videos my beta and I have to sit through, hehe. Nice, lengthy chapters rock : ) Thanks much for the review!

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Lily Jane- Those days, minutes and seconds seem like years, years, and more years... sigh. Thanks for the update, glad you liked mine as well : )

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Abby- I'm glad you enjoyed it- it's always nice to know you made somebody laugh. I tried to update soon, hope this works for you : )

Pline- Yes, they did : ) Hehe, don't worry, I would have been very excited about all those books too!

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Sweet Sarcasm- Hehe yes, I'd be happy with all the books as well. Ah... trouble are we? Lol that's okay, revenge is sweet, after all. Thanks for the review!

Sun Kissed Rose- Four day weekend? Awesome! I could use one of those right about now. Well anyway, thanks very much for the review, they're always greatly appreciated : )

Emps- I'm really glad you liked it : ) Also, thanks a bunch for the input, it really, really helps!

Luv-nave- Lol, nope, he's not going to give up for awhile ; ) Ah, glad you liked the girls' revenge.

Jade- A feat indeed, a feat indeed. Those e-mails _were _quite nasty, grrr. You updated! The world is right again!

Ravensiriusblack- Hehe yes, insanity is good (most of the time). Hm, yes, yogurt is quite pokeable. Nice observation. Thanks for the review!

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Ninde Annare- Yup, well it only turned out to be one reviewer that didn't like them, so I've decided to keep 'em in. Thanks very much for the review (and congrats on my math exam, hehe) talk to you soon!

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Ilirium- Hello! Don't worry, the verdict was very clear : ) I'm glad you liked the chapter; don't worry, the animagi goodness will be coming up soon. Thanks much for the review!

PinkPanther- Lol, nope, sorry, Kirk won't be dying anytime soon : ( And JKR said they won't be getting together until seventh year.. sorry! Well, thanks for the review!

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Sapphire039- Wow glad that I could bring a smile to your face because you just put one on mine for giving me a wonderful review! Thank you so much for being a faithful _and_ thoughtful reviewer! (what more could I ask for?)

Autumn Darkness- Glad you enjoyed the chapter and I hope your headache cures itself, so you can enjoy this chapter as well! Thanks bundles for the review!

Amazed reader- WOW, your review made me feel phenomenal! Those kind of reviews are what keep me writing and I'm happy to present you with another chapter for your reading pleasure. Thank you ever so much!

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Mr.Firenze- Hehe, the pink flamingoes, was a personal favorite of mine also. Thanks for all of the reviews they are definitely appreciated!

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	53. The Effect of Adding Acid

Standing There By You

Ch. 53- The Effect of Adding Acid

A/N: Hi... Remember me? Yes, I am still alive. I'm too ashamed to go back and actually see how long it's been since I updated last, but hopefully it hasn't been so long that you have forgotten what went on in the last chapter.

Come to think of it, I can't even remember, so:

Julie received an invitation to 'Marietta Aubine's First Annual Holiday Extravaganza'

Girls found out that boys were making a potion to spill on them, but rather unfortunately they weren't aware this was the exact thing the boys wanted.

Girls concocted potion, Lily spilled some of the itchy dye on her hand.

Grace and James serve a detention, and Severus acts all Snape-like and shifty.

Read now!

* * *

Once Lily had simmered down a bit from the traumatizing blue and itchiness that had followed, she and her friends reasoned to go through with the prank, but perhaps on a smaller scale.

"Maybe in their dormitory?" Julie suggested. "That way it won't be so public."

"All right," Lily nodded slowly over a small cauldron of bubbling, white liquid. "The cap recommends it to be performed in an open space and if possible near the outdoors, but I reckon it'll be okay if their windows are cracked a bit."

Grace shrugged, smirking. "The fumes can't be _that_ toxic."

Julie laughed, peeking over Lily's shoulder at the potion. "That's comforting."

Lily sighed. "Isn't it though? All right, scrounge around then and see if you can find some flat basins. They'll need to be easy to manage and small enough to fit partially under their beds."

Grace's eyes glistened. "They aren't going to know what hit them."

* * *

"Right then, does everyone know the plan?"

Peter looked up at his messy-haired friend. "Mostly..." he said slowly. "But, maybe you should go over it one more time."

James sighed. Peter really had to work on his focusing skills, or lack there of. "The girls think they're one up on us because they've got the stuff to make the potion," he began briskly, marking off the points on his fingers, "but _they _don't know that _we_ know, and are therefore going to concoct the potion to perform on us, but since _we_ know about it _we_ are going to trick and cause it to backfire on _them_, the beauty of it being of course that _they_'ve spent the time fetching the ingredients and brewing the potion, while in the end _we_'re going to be the ones with the advantage and last laughs. Got it?"

"Yes," Peter answered with too much assurance. "Every word."

"This is going to be bloody brilliant," Sirius grinned, rubbing his hands together. "And I was thinking," he continued, "while we're at it, why don't we use some of the extra on the Slytherins? Get 'em both at the same time, eh?"

"I don't see why not," James grinned in return. "We'll just have to nick a bit of the girls' potion and set it up in hall. Piece of cake."

"Speaking of cake..." Remus smiled, shifting above the desk he so idly rested his feet upon. "December the twentieth is on its way- but I like vanilla sweets, remember."

"December the twentieth?" James implored wonderingly. "Sorry, doesn't ring a bell."

Sirius shook his head. "Of absolutely _no_ significance to me."

"Ha ha," Remus responded with a wry grin. He brightened and it grew into an authentic smile. "This is the first year I'll be able to stay for my birthday, you know. The Holidays miss the full moon by a good couple of days- you know how mum always wants me home if I'm able; she likes to make a right old fuss over me. I think I can get her to let me stay, though."

"Great," Sirius said enthusiastically. "We can plan an _excellent _bash for you." He cocked his head toward James. "You think you're parents'll let you stay?"

James waved a hand and nodded, Peter following suit as Sirius turned to him as well. "_Smashing_." He grinned broadly and rubbed his hands together, swinging his legs over the end of the bed. "And I know my parents won't mind, they might pay Dumbledore to keep me, actually. Oh, that's only a month and half away! I'd better start making plans..."

Remus watched as Sirius stood up and ventured into the mysterious depths of his closet, and attempted not to chuckle as an object could be heard booming against the ground. "Maybe I should go home," he said with a good-humored grin. "I don't think _mum_ would consider planting a dungbomb in my pajamas an adequate birthday present."

* * *

Surprisingly, Lily found it rather hard to sit and discuss which arithmancy problems derived from the Chaldeans and which originated in Greece- as improbable as it would seem- while she had a batch of SernumentSolution waiting to be dealt with in her dormitory upstairs.

Kirk's eyes glowed and his perfectly cropped blonde hair seemed to ruffle slightly with excitement. "This passage says it's Dowsing," he told her, and then chuckled, "it's at least more plausible than that article on Iching; honestly, it doesn't have a hint of oracular divination."

Lily gazed back at him, eyes slightly unfocused. "Kirk," she said, causing him to start as she disturbed his intellectual ramblings. She shifted in her seat towards him. "Don't you ever-," she paused, frowning. "Have you ever read anything exhilarating- something you can't stop reading until you've finished, that just grips you, and takes you out of reality and into the next, until you can't even remember where you-,"

"Ah, let me stop you there," Kirk held up a hand, smiling knowingly. "I know exactly what you're talking about. I just finished a book precisely like that, as a matter of fact."

"Really?" Lily slumped against her chair with relief. "Which was it?"

Kirk straightened up in his own chair eagerly. "_The Great Pyramid: Its Construction, Symbolism and Chronology_, by Basil Stewart; it's fascinating, really, the way it records the dimensions, magnitude and proportions-,"

"No, no," Lily frowned, waving her hands swiftly to stop him. "I mean _novels_... the ones that invoke vision and caprice; _Wuthering Heights_, or- or _The Hidden Life in Freemansonry_, or," she released a soft laugh, "_The Princess Bride_, even."

"_The Princess Bride_?" he repeated skeptically.

Lily nodded enthusiastically. "It's an excellent love story with death, pirates, princes, princesses, not to mention Humperdink-,"

"Humperdink?" Kirk wrinkled his nose. "That sounds a bit fantastical to me."

Lily sighed, surrendering and reaching back for her Advanced Arithmancy book. "That's the point," she whispered despondently, but looked down and continued her pending homework nonetheless.

* * *

A chilly, hard floor scraping against one's feet in the dark morning was not at all a pleasurable ordeal, but, as James's toes dug through slime and his ankles occupied themselves with a creeping, sticky sort of gook, he decided he rather preferred icy toes after all.

He was quite swift in class, James was proud to profess, but the brink of the morning often found him to be a bumbling, incoherent fool; despite Sirius's contends he couldn't see any difference from his normal inept self, Remus and Peter agreed, especially after the repeated instances involving James and a syrup bottle exchanged for his shampoo.

Taking into account his very sad history of morning blunderers, 17.4 seconds was a remarkable time for him to realize his feet hand landed in a tub full of a very familiar solution.

"Huh," James said, watching as a prominent blue hue appeared from his ankles down. He winced when he remembered the next itchy step, leaping up and in the direction of the bathroom; he shut the door just as he heard his friends rustling behind him, and hurried to hop in the shower before they could try and beat him to it- water might increase the itch, but it was nothing a little ice-water-numbness couldn't solve.

Twenty minutes later James re-entered the dormitory, greeted by a few very itchy and irritable boys. He smiled at them from underneath a sopping mop of brown hair. "Reckon they decided to go through with it, eh?"

Remus gave a grimace in response. "I thought you said this was a flawless plan," he grumbled, still scratching mindlessly the bottom of his foot. "Now they're not going to fill the basins in the hall, and therefore won't be waiting underneath for your _master plan_ to unravel... Well, I,"

"That's all right," Sirius waved his hand dismissively. "We can get them back some other way, and besides, we still have the solution set up to fall on the Slytherins. Now James, do you think this looks like more of a cobalt or navy blue?"

"Navy," James decided, taking a few steps back from his friend's propped up foot. "Though I'm not so sure it's the appearance you should be worried about..." he scrunched up his nose and waved his hand rapidly to further emphasize his point.

"Agreed," Remus said, taking a step back as well.

Sirius brought his foot back down with a resentful smirk. "You're just bitter because you said cobalt," he determined, sniffing indignantly. Though when this slight sniff sent him nearly gagging, he assented and quickened to the showers himself.

"I hope he hurries," James said, crawling across the floor to retrieve a fallen sock. "If Snape is the one to land under the basins, I absolutely don't want to miss it."

* * *

"I wonder if they'll be angry," Julie said, her eyes darting the halls as they roamed in the musky morning. "Itchiness can really lead to madness, you know."

Grace chanced a glance at Lily and smiled. "Yeah, I know." Her friend smirked in response, peering down at the vague blueness left to lightly layer her hands. "It really is too bad, though," Grace continued, "I mean, sure they'll have itchy feet all day, but it would've been much lovelier if we could've given them a nice patch of blue across their nose, or something."

"No, this is good," Lily said, cradling her books lightly in the crook of her arm. "We reacted, they have itchy toes, and there's no evidence in plain view. It's perfect."

"Yeah, I," Grace paused and shifted her weight to stand on her tip toes, a smile creeping across her lips. "There they are now," she announced to her friends, and then turning back, continued, "And walking alone seems to be a very uncomfortable task."

Lily folded her arms. "What are they doing?" she asked, raising a dubious brow at the slightly suspicious boys before them. "They're acting really shifty."

Julie frowned curiously, peering forward as well. "Let's go check it out."

"All right, here they come," Sirius jabbed James in the side as a group of Slytherins emerged briskly on their routine path from the staircase adjacent to the hall that led to the house's common room.

James nodded and raised his wand, casting a spell on the basins they had planted on a windowsill high above; they radiated a bit at the enchantment before engaging in a gradual tip. "There," he whispered. "By the time they get over here it'll,"

"Potter," Professor McGonagall snapped, craning her neck around the doorframe of her classroom. Setting a pair of stern bespectacled eyes upon the student, she stepped swiftly forward in his direction. "If I recall, you didn't make the effort to,"

It seemed to be in slow motion, the boys thought, as the solution from the above basin gooped down onto their unsuspecting professor instead of its intended victims. James watched as her face turned so red that the rising blue caused it to turn a violent shade of purple.

"Oh... bugger," Sirius spoke for them all, taking a precautious step back as a stunned crowd began gathering around them.

Among the crowd three girls' expressions reflected the boys' shock, as Professor McGonagall remained in a trembling silence. "Who..." she started evenly, blinking a blue eye open to stare at the awestruck students around her. "Who..."

"It wasn't me," James and Sirius chorused immediately, holding their hands up to emphasize their supposed innocence.

Professor McGonagall looked as if she was ready with a harsh response, but a strange expression came about her face and it became evident the itchiness had commenced. "Somebody hand me my parchments," she instructed stiffly, fighting to scratch her ridiculously blue face.

At once Lily moved to sweep up the papers that had scattered near her feet, springing up and thrusting them at McGonagall. "Here you go, Ma'am," she gave a forced smile and moved to step backwards. Before she could retreat fully, however, the professor, with eyes round, bulging, and slightly maddened, reached out a thin hand to grasp Lily's wrist.

"Miss Evans," she admonished, pushing down the startled girl's sleeve and raising her arm high above. "Why," her nostrils flared dangerously, "..._why _is your hand stained blue?"

Lily seemed incapable of movement as she stared slack-jaw at the place where the solution had spilled across her hand three days prior. "No," she managed to squeak. "I-,"

"Come with me," she straightened up and pulled the most dignified face she could muster. "We'll work out your punishment in my office."

Lily gulped and involuntarily clutched her Prefect badge. "But-,"

Before she had a chance to protest further Professor McGonagall tightened her grip on her arm and began briskly walking down the hallway, leaving a crowd of stunned and gapping students in her wake.

"Lily's... in _trouble_?" Sirius whispered, dumbfounded.

James's eyes followed the awkwardly advancing pair as they rapidly made their way down the corridor. "_We_ pulled the prank," he pondered aloud the perplexing situation. "And _she's_ going to get in trouble for it."

"You're both geniuses," Remus quipped dryly. He turned to James. "You're not going to let her take the blame for it, are you?"

James frowned. "Aren't I?"

Remus sighed despairingly, chancing a glance at his other friend and quirking a hopeful brow. Sirius mimicked him and lifted a derisive brow in response. "Isn't he?"

"She'll despise you even more," Remus told him.

James cocked his head. "But-,"

"She's a Prefect."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Remus shifted his weight tiredly. "An incident like this will _ruin_ her reputation."

"I don't-,"

"And don't forget all those romance novels she reads," Sirius piped up knowingly.

James stared back blankly. "Sirius, what do romance novels have to do with an angry blue McGonagall?"

Sirius leaned in and whispered with a growing grin, "In _every_ romance novel the man saves the damsel in distress and she complies by giving him a big, fat, sloppy-," he paused as James turned into a sudden blur and disappeared down the other end of the hallway. He smiled. "Atta boy."

* * *

Lily knew she was fifteen and known for her maturity, she knew she was a Prefect, and she knew she was highly capable of acting like a proper young adult; but at this very moment she had the inconceivable desire to stop her professor in the middle of the hall, fling herself onto the ground and pound her feet and fists until someone understood the perverse and unjust affair this truly was.

Soundlessly, save the ominous tapping of McGonagall's quick feet, they entered the professor's subdued chambers into an atmosphere that was so tormented by silence Lily could hardly stand it. Even when she lingered before the familiar yet stiff high-backed chairs and was quite certain her professor would give a rare smile and offer kindly a sweet like she was apt to doing whenever Lily would stop by for a quick visit, her professor merely walked past her and retreated to a separate room in the back. Though she assumed this was a sign for her to sit down, she hardly dared act upon it. Instead she stood as still as she could and crossed her arms tightly, searching for anything in the room that could distract her from the awful happenings.

"Oh my," she whispered out loud, tapping her foot fretfully. "Oh... Oh my."

Professor McGonagall reappeared several minutes later, a thin layer of white now replacing the deep blue stain. Some sort of lotion had pacified the intense color, but by the look on her professor's face it had yet to sooth the itchy irritation. "Have a seat, Miss Evans," she instructed, her voice unnervingly calm.

Promptly Lily obeyed, lowering herself rapidly to perch onto the nearest chair. "Professor McGonagall-,"

"I must say, Miss Evans," the professor cut in swiftly. "I did have a higher perception of you."

Lily bit her lip. She had, of course, the option to spill out everything that had been going on, and the ability to pin the entire awful occurrence on James- even though she was still rather confused about the situation, she had no doubt the it was Marauders that were behind it- but somehow it just didn't feel right.

"I don't know, professor," she mumbled somberly. "I,"

"Mr. Potter?"

"What?" She ogled her professor with amazed round eyes. "How did you...?"

"Excuse me, professor," a deep voice panted from behind Lily. She whipped around, only to view James Potter with one hand gripping the doorframe and the other outstretched toward the room's occupants. He tipped his head. "Evans."

"I don't have time for any of your nonsense, Mr. Potter," McGonagall snapped, blue tinged lip twitching.

"Of course not," James nodded his head understandingly. "I just thought you should know... Evans wasn't involved with the prank at all."

Professor McGonagall remained un-phased "Oh?" she implored. "Then explain to me, why are her hands stained blue?"

James didn't hesitate a second. "We spilled some of the potion on the staircase," he alleged, "she slipped and put out her hands to stop her, and that's er," he nodded toward her blue fingers and wrist, "the only reason her hands are colored that way."

Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes at a particularly stunned Lily. "Is that true, Miss Evans?"

For a moment she thought herself too confounded to answer, but fortunately she quickly found her voice and delivered an adequate response. "I would never pull a stunt that could possibly harm you," she spoke as honestly as she could- without getting in trouble, of course.

For a few moments of tense silence Professor McGonagall looked intently between the two, deliberating in the soundless and unnerving manner she always did. "Very well then," she finally spoke. "Miss Evans, you're free to go," she nodded her head at the girl and it seemed as though a very vague look of relief had set across her features. It was much easier to reprimand a renowned mischief maker than a top student, after all. She looked across the room. "Mr. Potter, have a seat."

* * *

Lily Evans was very perplexed. On one hand she was happy... very, very happy; it would've been a highly unpleasant battle if McGonagall had attempted to take her badge away. Not to mention the look of unbearable disappointment that had laced her professor's normally cool face.

But on the other hand... she shuddered to think about it. Had James _Potter_- infamous swank and ever-so pretentious idiot- taken the blame for something he could've clearly gotten away with no punishment at all?

Lily frowned down at her shoes. The soles were scuffed- probably from the pacing she had done since she had left McGongall's office- and the tops were dull and slightly fading. Lowering herself to the ground to better inspect her shoes, a task she cherished as a chance to avoid thinking about that morning, she leaned against the brick wall and tried not to think about why she had stayed to linger outside of McGonagall's office instead of enjoying her free period in the library like she should have been.

Just as she decided she was acting loopy and the best choice would most definitely be to run away while she still could and retreat to the wonderful realm of books, the Transfiguration door swung open and James re-entered the hallway.

Looking up, she noticed he didn't appear at all surprised to see her. "Potter," she acknowledged, quickly standing up off the ground. "You,"

James made some sort of noise she assumed he emitted to silence her, as he shifted his bag to his other shoulder and leaned against the wall with his free one. "Hey," he said, shrugging one shoulder as a grin tweaked his lips. "You don't have to say anything."

She waved her hand. "Well just,"

Lily could not complete her protest, however, because as soon as she opened her mouth to begin it a pair of quick lips swooped down to cover her own.

If it was a passionate reaction James had wanted, it was a passionate response he got.

"Ow!" James yelped, ducking for cover as Lily's bag came thumping down onto his head. "What are you doing?"

"What am _I_ doing?" she shrieked, not pausing in her book-bag pummel. "You're _such _an idiot!"

"What are you talking about?" he swerved quickly to avoid a sound blow in the head. "It's not as if you weren't expecting it."

Lily froze for a few stunned seconds. "What?"

"I saved you," he said, taking advantage of her lack of concentration to step back and straighten his robe indignantly. "You know, prince charming... damsel in,"

"I swear if you finish that sentence with 'distress'," Lily growled, "I'll _clobber_ you. I didn't _ask_ you to help me out- and besides, you know this, this and everything else was your entire fault! I should be angry with you for getting the solution on my hands in the first place!"

"Now listen," James cut in, holding a hand up to stop her.

"No _you_ listen," Lily said, grabbing his immodest hand and twisting it out of her way. "Until I get every single _disgusting _germ off my lips I'm going to,"

"Evans, Evans," James attempted to pacify the nearly snarling girl, "it's all right, I'm sure Kirk will understand that this was a perfectly-,"

"Kirk?" After a moment Lily's eyes widened. "Oh- oh right, you didn't even consider that I have a boy-,"

James stared at her imploringly, eyes twinkling. "You forgot about him, didn't you? Ah, it's all right, I know the effect of my lips can startle anyone out of recalling dull and meaningless relations."

"Actually," Lily countered hotly, sending her bag into his stomach for one final blow, "I don't know what you're so bloody cocky about. I'd expect it was worse than kissing an ape; terribly sloppy and breath so acidic I would certainly consider investing in a toothbrush."

With that she turned swiftly around and stalked down the corridor, leaving a stunned and rather bewildered boy in her wake.

* * *

"Turquoise or plum?" Grace pondered aloud, dangling two half-filled bottles of nail-polish in front of inquisitive blue eyes. Clicking her tongue contemplatively, she unscrewed the two tops and peered inside. "Maybe I'll just go with,"

If her dorm-mates had wondered or cared which polish color she had finally decided upon, it was in vain; they watched in stunned silence as their door came crashing open and Grace in turn- nail-polishes included- went tumbling backwards and onto the ground.

"Oh," Lily shook her head, snapping out of a distracted state and peering down at the mess she had created. "I'm really sorry Grace,"

"Ah ha!" Grace triumphed, absently brushing away a turquoise streaked tress and sitting upright. "Thanks, Lily; this is a _brilliant_ color."

Julie giggled and joined her friend on the floor, taking a glance at the mixed polish the collision had created. "Interesting," she commented airily, pointing her wand at the vibrant puddles around them and charming them away.

After bottling a bit of the combined colors, Grace hopped up, heading toward the bathroom to scrub off the specks that had landed on her skin.

"Lily," Julie said slowly, inspecting her dazed friend with interest. "Have you been reading Kirk's books again?"

Lily started. "What?"

"Well your face," Julie explained, "it's all flushed like last time. It must've been a really good book, because your-,"

"It wasn't a good book!" Lily interrupted hurriedly and a bit louder than necessary. She attempted to calm herself when Julie and their dorm-mates jumped at her startling outburst. "I- I mean, well it wasn't even a- okay sure, let's just-,"

A twinkle came about Angie's wide eyes. "You _have _been snogging!" she exclaimed. "Val, get out the camera," she ordered, "this is a moment worth preserving."

"No," Lily protested, but to no avail as a blinding light flashed crudely into her eyes. "Trust me," she growled, rubbing at her eyes. "This is a moment I do _not_ want to remember."

"Oh," Val frowned sympathetically. "Kirk's that bad, huh?"

Lily paused. "Um."

Both Val and Angie raised their eyebrows, prying curiosity radiating as they gave a collective gasp of shock. "It _wasn't_ Kirk!"

Lily began to grow frantic at the predicament she had drowned herself in. "No. Well, yes. I-I mean-," she groaned; either way she was stuck- she didn't want Kirk to be deemed degradingly, but the option of telling them who it truly had been was too horrible to even consider.

"Lily!" Julie exclaimed suddenly from her spot on the ground. The two girls halted their inquiry and looked down at her. She, however, remained adamantly staring at Lily. "We're late," she said rapidly, bouncing up and grabbing her friend's arm as she lunged across the room. "Camaraderie with the house-elves is early today; I do believe we might've already missed the crumpets!"

"What?" came from each girl's mouth, but she didn't give them time to ask anything else as they flew out the door and down the staircase. Once they had safely reached the base of the common room, she released Lily's arm and leaned against a low tattered couch.

"Camaraderie with the house-elves?" Lily questioned, trying to catch her breath. "Since when are we in that?"

"We're not," Julie responded. "Sorry, it just looked like you didn't want to stay there much longer."

"Oh," Lily gave a deep sigh of relief. "Thanks." Suddenly she remembered where she was, and began to dart paranoid glances around the room in search for her present adversary. "I appreciate it," she continued distractedly.

Julie glanced at her, worried. "Do you want to go outside?" she offered. "It's a bit chilly but-,"

Lily was headed toward the exit before Julie could even finish. "That sounds like an excellent idea to me."

* * *

"_Escape! Escape! It's James, the ape!_"

Sirius, Remus and Peter stopped abruptly, inclining their heads towards the source of the cackling song.

"Peeves?" Sirius questioned, his eyes meeting a jovial, bouncing flash of light.

"_Take flight at once to Argentina! Montana!_

_Away from the boy with breath de banana!_"

"What are you up to, Peeves?" Remus asked.

The buoyant menace hooted in delight. "Know any words that rhyme with toothbrush?"

* * *

**A/N: Hello all, thanks for reading : ) I have the next chapter started, so I promise it won't take as long... yikes, that was shameful. Anyway here's my utter gratitude for all of your wonderful input; a big collective thanks to all of you fantastic people.**

Amazed reader- Hi! Your review was very awesome, and enthusiastic too, hehe. Thanks bunches, I really appreciate the reviews that make me feel so great!

Jade- Hehe... Little Mermaid. We'll see about that ; ) I miss you!

Ninde Annare- Hello! Thanks very much for the review, I'm glad I could make you smile : )

DobbyGrl- I'm really glad you liked the chapter, thanks very much for the positive feedback : )

Autumn Darkness- Ah yes, I'm afraid the rivalry will never truly end. Let's hope it was interesting, thanks for the review!

Dance-flirt- It's okay... I understand about hectic life. I'm glad you don't mind shorter chapters, thanks much for the review!

Ppp- I'm glad you're enjoying the sub-plots (yes I'm pretty sure that's the word, hehe), thanks a lot for the review, it's very appreciated.

Grey Fox- Ah, busy with exams, that's yucky. I'm 16 (11th grade), how old are you? Lol Il Commando? That's awesome. Oh, and I live in Ohio. You've probably forgotten that you asked me all these questions in your review... sorry it took me so long to update.

CountingSheep123- I'm glad you enjoy it, thanks very much for the review : ) Oh, and I really like your penname.

LilyisMe! Lol, nice name ; ) I'm really glad you like the story, thanks for the advice and positive feedback!

Ieyre- Ah Snape and Sirius in a fist fight, that would be interesting ; ) Thanks as always for the review, it's much appreciated!

Coco-Pop- Hmm... No the pages just stuck together on their own accord, James didn't do that to the girls, just luck : ) Thanks very much for the review, I'm really grateful for them!

JaneyGirl- I'm really glad that you like the story, and understand the whole Lily liking someone else situation. I'll try to keep up with every one of Rowling's words, thanks for the awesome review!

Hannah C. Thaw- Hi! Thanks for the review, I'm glad you like it : )

Alibi- Hello! I'm glad you like the Remus/Grace aspect of the story, and that you enjoyed the rest of it too : ) It always makes me feel great when I find out I made someone laugh, thanks for letting me know I could have a positive impact on your day!

bLaCK'sbiGgestFAN- I'm really glad you like the story, hehe, yes I'll probably be the old woman writing just like you described ; ) Thanks for the review!

Abilars- Yay, glad I could make you laugh! Ah, sorry I haven't updated in so long, I hope you'll forgive me : )

Dracapotter12- Ah, glad your computer's fixed : ) I always hate when that happens, mine's acting funky lately too. Thanks for the review!

Pialicious- Wow, thanks for the incredible review! It was so awesome, and made me feel utterly fantastic. Just reading it again now puts a smile on my face. Thanks so much, I really, really appreciate it : )

Lily Skylo- Hello! Thanks as always for the great review, I really enjoy the ones that point out what they like because it helps me when writing the upcoming chapters. Thanks again!

Lilyisme- Thanks : )

Melia Nerine- I'm glad you liked the pranks! Ingenious? Why thank you!

Alanna of Pirate Swoop- Happy to hear you like the story, ahh Lily can't fall for James till seventh year, silly goose. Sorry / Don't complain to me, complain to Sirius- or JKR, she wrote it in the fifth book. I know, it's sad.

MooningOverMoony- Gah... Majorly sorry about the lack of updates. I swear whole-heartedly I won't give up on the fic, even if things get really busy and hectic. Thanks for the heartening review though, I really appreciate it!

Dragon Rider22- Yes, that is pretty lame. Oh well 

CrazyTalk32- Thanks for taking the time to read this monster of a story, I appreciate it : ) Ah yes, I know James was a Chaser, when (if) I go back to revise this it'll be the first thing I change. Thanks for the input!

Twinklestar123- Lol I'm glad you like the chapters, and hmmm keep reading to see if they find out!

IamSiriusgrl- glad you enjoyed the chapter, Lily would be quite mad about the powdery stuff, I'm mean who doesn't want their skin dyed blue! Thanks oodles for the review!

Queen Tigress- A count down, yay! I can't wait either, it'll be here soon! Thanks for the review!

mystikalolo- Sorry about the long wait! But here is the next chapter, enjoy! Thanks bunches for the smashing review!

The Big Dance- Jump, Jump! I have updated just so you can start jumping. Sorry for the long wait, but here it is and enjoy! Thanks a lot for the awesome review!

erisedxdesire- Here it is, sorry about the long wait! Thanks for the awesome review, writing is hard but so much fun to do, especially when I get reviews like yours!

whiskeygirl- Thanks for that smashing review and enjoy this next chapter!

Angel Street- Wow, thanks for the great review! Was that enough Lily and James in this chapter for you? Enjoy!

Luv-nave- Interesting is unique, and I am unique, so thanks for the review!

RavenSiriusBlack- Mucho thanks for the smashing review! I'm glad you found Lily's blue tinted skin to be humorous..hehe, enjoy the next chapter!

DestinyofInsanity- Sounds like an interesting conversation they were having in your math notes. James is an idiot, but a cute idiot! Thanks bunches for the awesome review!

Rebekahek- Thanks for the awesome smiley review, you brightened up my day! Thanks for the smashing review!

Sweet Sarcasm- Thanks for the awesome review, sorry about the long wait, but enjoy!

Amaya- O.W.L.s will be coming up later in the year, but its only nearing x-mas time, so the marauders still have plenty of time to study! Thanks for the super-duper review!

Armith-Greenleaf- The marauders are awesome, who could not love them! From Venezuela! That's awesome, no unfortunately I'm not from Great Britain but from the U.S.A., but we could pretend! Thanks for the awesome review!

sblomie- Swedish history for 5 hours, that definitely sounds yucky! Thanks for the awesome review, and enjoy this chapter!

theQuibbleringQuibblerer- Wow, thanks for the smashing review, and enjoy this chapter!

Ophelia Drowning- psst, here take this…hands opaque bottle with blue stuff inside Thanks bunches for the awesome review!

Blueseal- Hey Jessica! It's me Angela again, getting stuck with the review responses :) Thanks for the awesome review and enjoy the next chapter!

Dulcis- Thanks for the review, princess band-aids and she wouldn't let you get them, what kind of cruel and unusual punishment is that!

Tamsididi- hehe, glad you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for the smashing review!

newsieduckling- They are in 5th year, and thanks for the awesome review!

Abby- Sorry about the long wait, but enjoy the next chapter! Thanks for the awesome review!

Sister Golden Hair- thanks for the smashing review, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Under-the-Moonlight- hehe it might happen! Thanks for the review!

Adnilem- Wow! Thanks for the smashing review! I'm glad this story could bring happiness to you, since your review makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

x4eyedblondiex- Wow I'm glad you enjoy this story so much, your review means so much to me! And it was all part of the marauders master plan!

**Also big THANKS to idea-expander (aka beta) for helping me write the review responses, I read all of the reviews and love them bunches but I wanted to get this out as quick as possible, so she offered a helping hand and we split up the bunch. : )**


	54. Bothersome Mothers and Primate Prattle

Standing There By You

Chapter 54- Bothersome Mothers and Primate Prattle

**A/N**: …

HI! I know you all probably hate me because of the wait… but there's been trauma. Yes, trauma. What kind of trauma you ask? The worst kind. _Computer_ trauma. Believe it or not, I had an entire chapter written two months ago, because I was really excited about all of your reviews… when my computer died and it deleted everything. My computer was out for a month, and then when I finally got to typing it my computer spazzed again. Well either way I really missed you, writing, and your awesome input… Thanks very much if you're still reading this… : )

Now I know that even I forgot what happened in the last chapter, so:

**RECAP**

Kirk is a bit more boring  
James swooped in for a very unwelcome kiss (received by Lily)  
Remus's birthday was decided to be celebrated over the Holidays by the best party-throwers in town (aka the Marauders)

Ooh and **IMPORTANT** lately when I've been uploading the chapters fanfiction has been squishing some of the words together so it may look a little sloppy.. sorry /

* * *

"Butterbeer…" Sirius nibbled on the tip of his quill. "Pumpkin shakes, Fizzing Whizbees…" 

He glanced over the quickly accumulating list stretched out before him, flicking off a few Sweet cornand Turnip Bertie Bott Beans he had selected carefully from James's secret stash. He had always taken a peculiar fancy to nibbling on the essence of a stalk or kernel when construing any important occasion, and Remus's birthday was going to be just that. It was very rare Mrs. Lupin permitted her son to stay any given holiday, and such an event was going to be celebrated properly. Sirius had already purchased and/or borrowed dozens of sweets, objects and contraptions that left no doubt it'd be a memorable occasion.

Behind Sirius's outstretched figure a muffled sequence of sounds emitted from the doorway. "Beans," it mumbled vaguely. "List- bed curtain, there."

Sirius rolled over to properly greet his incoherent best mate. "'Ello James," he smiled, chucking a Sweet corn at his forehead.

"Huh? Oh, hello. Hi."

Sirius smiled slightly, turning back to his list of very important supplies. "Interesting day, chimp chops?"

"Oh no, not really, it--," James did a double take. "What did you call me?"

Sirius pursed his lips, smacking them twice as he hunched back over the parchment. "Nothing, do you want some sweets? There's still some banana flavored left, I think."

James stared back accusingly, searching his irritatingly amused friend's face for good two or three minutes. Sirius smiled.

"How did you find out!" James cried, throwing his hands above his head in astonishment. "It happened what, _two hours_ ago and you've already heard about it? How did- did Lily tell you? Has she been telling people? I knew it, she's been blathering to everyone how she thinks I'm so horrible at snog--,"

"Relax, would you?" Sirius chucked another bean at his head. "And please, don't go into details. I really don't want to hear about it."

"I wasn't going to!" James said, still in quite a state. "How could she _do_ this? I mean, it's bad enough she has to go around saying, well- well you know, to _me_, but informing the entire student body, honestly!"

"Hey, Ape-Boy," Sirius cut in. "If you would stop yelling for one second, I could tell you it wasn't her I heard it from."

James ignored the slight. "It wasn't?"

"Nope. It was Peeves. Had a catchy little song to go with it, actually."

"Oh great," James flung himself dramatically onto his mattress. "Just _great_. Not only will the whole school hear about it, they'll be humming _catchy little songs _about it, as well."

"No worries, mate," Sirius shook his head. He replaced his quill and let it dangle above the parchment. "We took care of it."

James looked leery. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Sirius looked up at him, "it cost us two secret passageways and we're due to distract McGonagall every Wednesday at eight till Peeves can figure out how to get into one of her classified cabinets, but the Poltergeist agreed to keep it hush-hush. I know he's a tricky fellow, but I'm fairly certain he'll keep his word."

"Oh." James sat up slowly, taking in the situation. "All right, then. Thanks."

"Ah, just to warn you," said Sirius, "now we own rights to the song, and Peter's become especially fond of it." He nodded to the doorway as their two friends entered, one humming the tune loudly just as he had predicted.

"Mmm…" acknowledged James, and turned to consider his surroundings as his friends continued whatever they had been doing. Only a few moments later, however, he spoke up again quickly. "She was lying," he hastened to defend. "Or terribly confused. Sick, probably. Could be terminal; I saw her coughing just this morning."

"Who, Lily?" Peter stopped humming and frowned. "That's because she was choking on a bran muffin," he pointed out.

James waved his hand dismissively. "An excuse if I ever saw one. She was clearly confounded at the sight of me- all those rushing emotions and such."

"I thought you said she was coughing because she was terminally ill," mused Remus.

James frowned. "Yes, well they're really one in the same, either way--,"

"Viewing you and being terminally ill are one in the same?"

James glared at Sirius. "You're missing the point completely."

Sirius smiled. "Fine, go on then. You were saying?"

"That I was." He clicked his tongue contemplatively. "Erm…"

"She's terminally ill…" Peter prodded helpfully.

"Right, yes. I- she, I mean…"

"He's got nothing," whispered Sirius to Remus.

James surrendered with a sigh. "I've got nothing," he confirmed miserably, clutching the sides of his head with a sort of manic vigor. "It's true, I'm an ape. Throw me a banana and turn around so I can pick bits of bugs off you; ship me to the nearest tropical locale and I'll be with my own kind."

"Well, he does already have the hair," Sirius observed, poking the top of James's head; it had dropped unceremoniously onto the desk and the mangly locks were standing nearly on end as if frustrated themselves.

James emitted a pitiful noise the other boys deciphered to be a sick, strangled chimpanzee. Though they highly doubted it was meant to be so.

"James Potter," Sirius boomed, deciding he had finally had enough. James hardly stirred. Grabbing him by the shoulders, he lifted him up roughly with a menacing grunt. "Pathetic," he deemed the dismal boy's lolling head.

"I have a right to be pathetic," James said, still lolling. "Being compared to a hairy mammal after something you could hardly call a snog and the prospect of three weeks of detention with McGonagall deserves that, I'd say."

Sirius's eyes fluttered upward with exaggerated annoyance as he leaned more of his weight onto James's shoulders. He prepared to instill some rationality. "It's Lily Evans," he said, "just some bookworm with a peculiar head of red. Sure she's pretty but there's always a Gina or Roxanne that could easily suffice, and concerning McGonagall, you know just as well as I do she's a softie at heart and a simple box of chocolates will get you off with an easy book assignment or two."

"Last time you tried to soften McGonagall with sweets she made you scrub the entire first corridor with your own socks," James reminded him dryly.

Sirius exhaled heavily. "I'm _trying_ to help."

"Well you aren't doing a very good job of it," James said bluntly. "I've never even heard of a girl named Gina or Roxanne."

"They're hypothetical."

"Great, I'll take my hypothetical girlfriend into a hypothetical closet and give her a good ol' hypothetical snog."

"Hopefully you're better at hypothetical kissing than you are the real kind."

"Oh no," Remus sighed. "It took me a week to sort out that mess." He watched dismally as James lunged at Sirius, taking a stack of neatly folded robes and rolled up socks along with him.

"Argh," Sirius yelled, as James attempted to stuff one of the aforementioned socks into his mouth. "You're…" he endeavored to sit up, "awfully…" he got a strong hold on James's shoulders, "temperamental…" With a manly grunt he forced James downward and panted at the difficult task. "You know that?"

"Am not," James snapped.

"You just snapped," Sirius pointed out. "And you pinned me against a pile of dirty laundry. Clearly you're not in a pleasant mood."

James frowned. "Irrelevant."

"Not true," Sirius cautiously released James's shoulders and sat up. "You're taking too much out of this. Lily is a fink, and a bitter fink at that, I'll bet she was just…" he trailed off as he caught James throwing him an icy glare. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," James said gruffly, sitting up as well. He pushed off the ground and began to stand up. "C'mon, let's go to dinner; I'm starving."

Sirius watched his friend in confusion as he maneuvered his way up and toward the door. Sure, he would be horrified too if a girl he attempted to woo was any less than ecstatic-- not that he ever had to worry about that, of course-- but James had to know the girl he had tortured for five years wasn't apt to throw him a parade after an unexpected move like that. He would've bet anything James wouldn't have cared a bloody bludger what Lily thought, and the fact that he _did_ actually care was beginning to concern him. "You still detest her, don't you James?"

"Of course." James frowned. "Do you think we're having roast?"

Sirius pressed on. "It's still just for the competition, isn't it?"

Remus pulled a mockingly dramatic face. "Revenge for the traumatic Hogsmeade incident."

"What do you think, you nitwits?" James disappeared beyond the doorframe and started down the staircase. "Hurry, or there won't be any gravy left like last time."

Peter scampered behind his suddenly starving friend but Remus and Sirius stayed lingering behind. "This nitwit thinks our friend is hiding something."

Remus nodded. "This nitwit agrees."

* * *

"I'm not sure what to tell you, Lily," Julie's soft voice rose just slightly above the wind. She clutched her cloak with pale fingertips as the temperature seemed to drop significantly. She nodded. "I _will_ attest to the fact that the Marauders have an awful knack at giving startling first kisses, however," with a smile, she continued. "I think Grace will too." 

"Uh huh," Lily said moodily. "But you can't relate mine and yours- this was _awful_."

"Right," Julie responded, "because being kissed by someone who thought you were someone _else _in the middle of a crowded pub and then collapsing into a dozen trays and butterbeers afterwards is hardly _awful_."

Lily allowed the trace of a grin. "Sorry," she apologized. "I forgot about that." She clutched her scarf tighter to protect her small frame and focused on the sodden ground they plodded upon. "You know, he's lucky I didn't turn him into a turnip."

Julie couldn't help but laugh. "I think it's bad enough you related him to an ape. With James Potter a bruised ego is far worse than damaging anything on the exterior."

Lily's smile grew. "I only call it as I see it." She blanched. "Or feel it, rather."

For awhile they walked in contemplative silence on the frosty path along the lake, Lily occasionally muttering how she was never going to find a mouthwash powerful enough to suffice and Julie pondering a bit on her own.

"You know," she began tentatively, audacious now by her friend's newfound good mood. Lily looked up. "You… Well, you didn't look that disgusted when you came in the dormitory this afternoon--," she hastened to finish as Lily's eyes grew frighteningly round, "were you perhaps… reading a good book earlier?"

"Oh…" Lily shifted her accusing glare and stared instead at the ground. "Erm… perhaps."

Julie watched as Lily fidgeted with a button on her cloak and was suddenly very interested with her toes. She bit her lip to hide a smile. "Oh… Like, Robert Burns good?"

Lily tucked and re-tucked a lock of hair slowly behind her ear. "No," she glanced at Julie, a smile once more tweaking her lips. She exhaled deeply. "_William Shakespeare_ good."

"Oh," Julie's eyes widened. "Oh my."

* * *

It was a fact James's stomach was much too jumbled up to allow in any sort of a meal. It was also fact James was positive he did not want to see anybody in the Great Hall. So he wondered vaguely why he was walking at such a fast place to get to a place he very much didn't want to be; his legs seemed propelled by how perturbed he had been by his friends' questions and the pestering he had needed to escape. This was all very aggravating, seeing as he was certainly looking forward to a hearty meal of roast pork- but most of all he was concerned by how much Sirius insulting Lily had bothered him. 

_She _is_ a bitter fink_, his thoughts insisted. He reminded himself of all her irritating traits and the annoying appearance she donned, always prim, always perfect. He was comforted as he summoned up all memories of the many instances she had pressed on his nerves, and decided it would be a very enjoyable dinner if he just reminisced a bit.

He entered the Great Hall with a bit of a bounce, but his newly jubilant attitude was at once diminished when he caught sight of Lily Evans and found he couldn't recall any of those 'many instances' at all.

* * *

Remus pulled his book closer to him, scooting to the edge of a couch near the fire until he was practically sitting on the arm rest. 

"Ahh…" Sirius sighed contently, stretching across the length of that very piece of furniture. "Nothing like a nice nap after a hearty meal, that's what I always say."

Remus glanced down, glaring at his friend's outstretched feet. "Comfortable?" he asked dryly.

"Very, thanks."

Grace laughed at Remus's irritated face and gestured to the rug beside her with a rolled up magazine. "You're welcome to join me, if you'd like. I promise I won't shove any smelly feet in your face."

Remus wondered if Grace knew he'd prefer to sit next to her even if her feet smelled like a dozen dung bombs. He was about to ask her, when Sirius interrupted with a loud and resentful _humph_. "My feet do _not _smell," he contested, wiggling them toward Remus. He responded by grimacing and fleeing to the ground beside Grace. "I see how it is," Sirius raised his brows in feigned bitterness. "You just wait and see how much I put into your birthday, and then we'll see who feels sorry."

"Ah right, that reminds me," Remus began, reaching for his bag. He pulled out a parchment and waved it in the air. "Mum finally responded to my letter."

James snatched the letter from his hands. "Let's see here," he said, scanning the first few lines. "Oh good, you're allowed to stay."

"Uh huh," Remus said, moving forward to grab back the letter.

James shifted in the opposite direction. "Oh," he gushed, smiling fondly at Remus from above the folded parchment. "But mummy says you owe her _two _extra hugs next time you see her, and--,"

"Give that to me," Remus took back the letter, quickly growing crimson. Eager to change the subject, he turned to Grace. "Erm, it's too bad you can't stay for the holidays."

"That's all right," she said, fighting to keep a straight face at the boys' chuckles and her boyfriend's beet red face. "Who knows what you lot have planned…" she feigned a shudder. "Besides, _I _have an exquisite ball to attend."

While Sirius pretended to gag, James gave her an odd look. "A ball?" he asked. "Who's throwing a ball?"

"My mum," Julie's voice startled them all. She waved abashedly from behind. "And I agree with you and Sirius-- I tried telling them they're never much fun."

"Nonsense," Grace said, returning to her magazine.

James shrugged, glad he wasn't a part of any Holiday Ball. He undoubtedly preferred eating sweets and playing Quidditch in the freezing weather to dressing up in uncomfortable robes and chatting with stuffy old people. Thinking then of the week they had planned for the near future, he turned to his friend. "Do you know if you're allowed to stay yet, Sirius?"

"What?" Sirius turned to him. "Oh, sure, it'll be fine. You know how my parents are. Hey Grace, are you through with that Quidditch magazine? I want to show you lot what I'm expecting for Christmas."

"Too late, mate," said James, looking pleased now that the plans were officially set. "I've already got a rubber band and two Bertie Bott Beans in your name."

"That is nothing to joke about, James," Sirius admonished. "Now turn to page 57,' he leaned towards Remus and muttered, "That's where the good stuff is."

"Oh," Julie looked up from the armchair she had perched upon beside Grace. "McGregor caught me in the hall and told me to remind you all about the Quidditch meeting tonight--,"

"Ah, right," Sirius rolled his eyes. "Because we definitely didn't get the message the first fifteen times he told us himself, eh James?"

Sirius turned to his friend in anticipation of a response, but found he was suddenly preoccupied with his hair and darting glances at a person looming impatiently behind his armchair. "Evans," James nodded, masking his awkwardness with an indifferent expression. Sirius wouldn't have been surprised if steam had begun to pour from Lily's ears right that very moment.

She glared. He gulped. "Right, er- Sirius, you were saying you wanted to go upstairs…"

Sirius blinked. "No I wasn't."

James's eyes widened pointedly. "Yes you were, _remember_?"

A smirk tinged his deliberately oblivious expression. "No, no… I don't recall, exactly…" James refrained with difficulty from growling aloud. "_Oh_," Sirius said, and leaned over if he was about to get up, but then stopped and dropped back onto the couch. "No, I don't think I want to anymore."

"What?" James glared.

Sirius smiled. "Are you going to buy me something from page 57?"

"No-," Sirius raised his brows meaningfully. James clenched his jaw. "Fine, Sirius. Anything for my _best mate_."

"All right, let's go upstairs," Sirius finally conceded. "Here, take a look at this smashing set of Arrows boxers..." James accepted the catalogue mid-trample up the staircase, eager to be distracted from the piercing emerald glare presently burning two holes into his back.

* * *

Grace was never happier to be sitting before a plateful of kippers and a gobletful of iced pumpkin juice. Between a mad Quidditch Captain keeping them up until dawn and a ridiculous mass of O.W.L.-priming homework assignments, the week had been absolute torture. She looked forward to this weekend being the breath of fresh air she needed, and to embark on it spent an extra two and a half hours snoozing. If it hadn't of been for Lily's pestering that she was wasting away the day, she could've spent an endless amount of the chilly day snuggling between her mattress and covers. Then again… 

As a new hour arrived a cluster of students did too, each one happy with the coming of the weekend and chatting gladly amongst themselves. One boy in particular caught her gaze and began striding in her direction.

Grace didn't know if she could've gotten through the terrible week without the prospect of such an exciting weekend with Remus. To date they had been seeing each other for 364 days- one year tomorrow, and while she was normally disgusted at the sappy scenes in the romantic movies her aunt had showed her back at home, she had to admit she was almost giddy at having one of her own.

"Good afternoon," Remus teased, sliding onto the empty seat beside her. "Sleep well?"

"Uh-huh," she said, finishing off her beverage and placing the goblet aside. "So," she began slyly, "any _plans _for this weekend?"

Remus's eyes lit up as he nibbled on a piece of left-over toast. "Actually, yes."

Grace smiled. "Oh really?"

"Yeah," Remus grinned. As he began to explain his three friends joined the pair, Sirius reaching over to snatch the remains of Grace's bacon. Remus glanced at them. "Tomorrow is the official 'Taste Testing Day', according to Sirius," he said. "He's attempting to find the perfect blend of goodness for my celebration over the holidays... it should be an interesting experience."

"And delicious," Sirius added around a mouthful of bacon.

Grace blinked. "Oh," she said confusedly. "That's… _all_ you have planned?"

"I told you Remus," James slung his arm around his friend's shoulder. "Once you get attached to a chick she expects you to spend every _second _of your free time either with her or buying her something expensive."

Instead of the smack James had been expecting from Grace, she merely frowned. "You're sure?" She searched intently for the twitch of his left brow that always occurred when he wasn't telling the truth.

Remus shrugged. "Not that I'm aware of. Were we supposed to do something?"

Grace sighed when his brows remained depressingly motionless. "Nah," she said softly, feeling her stomach plummet as the weekend took a turn for an immediate worse.

"No worries," Sirius added to the conversation. "We'll be sure to save you a tre--,"

"Terribly sorry to interrupt," a brisk voice injected above them. The students looked up to see the familiar stern face of Professor McGonagall. "Mr. Black, if you would please follow me to my office?"

Automatically James stood up along with him. "No, Mr. Potter," the professor instructed. "For once this chat does not involve the both of you."

Slowly James sat down, looking curiously at his friend as he wondered what he could've possibly pulled off without him. Though upon closer inspection, it seemed he didn't have a clue either.

"All right," Sirius said, standing up and shrugging. "Mind if I bring the rest of the bacon?"

* * *

Sirius was never very fond of parchment. 

And even more so now, he decided, as he glared at each of the dozen scrolls set out before him.

He smoothed out one of the pieces he had crumpled in his fist for the umpteenth time that morning. In truth it wasn't very fair- the parchment had at one point been a blasé tree, after all, unaware of its future purpose and without control even if it had been. For all it knew it could've became something useful and with decent function, such as a paper broomstick charmed to sweep past McGonagall's nose, or--

"Mr. Black," the aforementioned professor's nose twitched, and Sirius wasn't sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry of frustration.

"Hmm?" the fifteen-year-old replied, still lost in a daze as he recalled that memorable Transfiguration lesson.

"It is customary that the staff of Hogwarts does not intervene between students and their parents," she began firmly, vying for his attention. "But as there has hardly been a moment's peace in my office due to the continual onset of owls from the Black Manor, it has become quite necessary that I do so."

Sirius nodded sympathetically. "They are rather annoying, aren't they?"

McGonagall rubbed her right eye tiredly, but Sirius was sure this was just to cover up a smile. "They are your parents, and you must respect their wishes."

Sirius paused awhile after this remark, frowning at the parchment. "But the situation is preposterous, professor--,"

"Nonsense." She brushed his protest aside. "They're merely requesting that you come back home as usual for the holidays." She arched a brow. "The only preposterous thing is that they would want you there."

"That's just the thing," Sirius fought to maintain his cool. "They _don't_ want me there."

"I highly doubt that, Mr. Black. Between all of these letters and the continual mentioning of expecting you for a social gathering- it is a time for family, after all…"

"That's just it," Sirius's mouth twisted into a mirthless smile. "They want me to attend because it's the _respectable _thing to do. They don't give a flying Billywig that it's a time for _family_-," he snorted. "They're not exactly that sort, you see."

Professor McGonagall tapped her slipping glasses back to the bridge of her nose, staring at the irate student before her. "I'm afraid there is not much I can do, Mr. Black." Her tone seemed a little less demanding. "If your parents request that you return home for the Holidays, then we simply cannot allow you to stay here."

Sirius made a gruff noise in reply, loathing his parents more than ever as he wondered how he was going to tell his friends he wasn't going to be able stay.

* * *

"Hey Julie," Lily smiled, rolling over on her bed. "What do you think I should wear for your mum's 'extravaganza'?" 

"I dunno," Julie shrugged. "Something comfortable. It'll be long. And _grueling_."

"Oh stop it," Lily shook her head, turning to her other friend for support. "She's practically ruining the fun, isn't she Grace?"

Grace raised a shoulder from above the parchment she was folding into a paper-cannon. "Uh-huh."

Lily frowned. "That's morbid," she stated, as Grace charmed her cannon to blast several people she had fashioned out of bits of scrap parchment.

"Yeah well," she responded dully, flicking a tiny hand across the desk. "I'm in a morbid sort of mood."

"Mmm," Lily agreed, looking between a morbid friend and a strangely pessimistic one. "Aren't you two in delightful moods today."

* * *

"Psst.." 

Before Sirius could look to see who was calling him, a hand appeared out of nowhere and yanked him quickly through his bed-curtains.

"Hello," James grinned. Sirius opened his mouth to respond, but his mysterious-acting friend shushed him before he could. "Shh," he hissed, his voice sadly far above a whisper. "Remus is right outside and I've got news about the shipment of the _super important and also maybe explosive supplies_ we ordered."

Sirius could practically hear Remus rolling his eyes from the other side of the thick red curtain. "Oh," he shifted onto James's pillow. "About that."

"They're fantastic," James crowed. "Shrieking and spinning and spitting and Remus'll never see 'em coming--,"

"I can hear you," Remus's irritated voice rang across the dormitory.

"It's okay," James assured Sirius. "I'll just obliviate him later."

"You will not!"

James chuckled, poking his head through the curtain. I already have," he informed him, "eight times! Don't worry, it's better if you don't remember some things."

Remus's gave an aghast gasp. "_You_--,"

"James has never touched a wand to your head, Remus, except for that one time but that was necessary and well, let's just forget about that." James's mood grew despairing as Sirius put an end to the fun game of badgering Remus. "Sorry mate, but I'm trying to tell you something."

"Fine," James said, still looking sour.

"I uh-," he leaned back against the headboard. "Well you're just going to have to count one less for Remus's birthday."

"What?" James's eyes crinkled as he grinned widely. "C'mon, Sirius, the stuff we ordered isn't _really _toxic- it just tastes like it."

"I know," Sirius said, tossing one of his pillows roughly into the air and catching it again. "I just- can't come. Decided to be home for the holidays and all that garbage, you know."

Remus shared a confused glance with James, before both turned back to their strangely behaving friend. "That's fine," Remus said, trying to mask his disappointment with a nonchalant shrug. Even if he had been acting as if in objection of the celebration they had spent loads of time preparing for, he had to admit he had been a bit excited about the whole thing. It wasn't very often he had this much done especially for him.

"I'll see you lot later," Sirius bid, leaping off his bed and scooping up his broomstick on his way to the stairs. "I'm gonna practice a bit of Quidditch while there's still some sun out."

James frowned. "See ya," he said, but his friend was already too far down the stairs to hear.

* * *

The brisk air had been freezing against his exposed arms and face, but aside from a slightly severe wind-burn it had felt extraordinarily good. He wasn't sure what time it was when he had finally decided to come back down, but being the sky was pitch black and most of Hogwarts thrillingly silent he figured it was well past midnight. 

Instead of taking a right at the Great Hall to head towards his common room, Sirius continued forward and up the nearest set of stairs. McGonagall had instructed him to send his parents an immediate response telling them he was going to stay with them after all, and he figured he might as well get it over with.

He glared at the parchment he had decided to reply with; as if it were its fault it was so scribbled upon and messy. Once he reached the place he had been heading for, he dodged owl droppings and slippery patches of hay, crossed the brisk owlery and hoisted himself to sit along the cool open stone. Retrieving a quill from inside his robes, he tested the tip on a bit of wasted paper, and prepared to scribble a response on the back of it.

"Hmm…" he muttered aloud, realizing his messy attempts had left him nearly no room to write. He withdrew his quill and rubbed his head. "Oh, blast it."

At this somebody shrieked, and then the sound of scrambling was heard behind the stone pillar he stood beside. "Er… Hello?" he said, craning his neck around the large fixture.

"Oh," a very startled Julie said, steadying herself with an expression of relief. Quickly she began to gather a few supplies and parchments that had fallen on the ground along with her. "I didn't think anyone came up here this late."

"I didn't either." He glanced around and picked up a few parchments that had dropped near his feet. "Dear Mum," he read aloud the only words that marked the first one. He smirked. "Well that's a good start."

"Thanks," Julie said, rushing to reach for the letters he had gathered.

He shuffled through the many parchments before handing them back to her. "To Mum," he read the next. He flipped to several others. "Dear Rebecca; Mother; To Whoever it may concern--," he looked up. "My, you've gotten far."

Julie grabbed the papers, flushing slightly. "You should be talking," she said, "yours has more scratches and scribbles on it than actual words."

Sirius looked down at his parchment and saw that indeed it did. "Yeah, I suppose so," he agreed, staring at the sloppy script.

They stood there for a few more moments in the biting cold, staring separately at their poor attempts at a response. Finally Julie reached into her pack and retrieved a fresh roll of parchment. "Here," she offered, holding it out to Sirius.

"Thanks," he said, accepting and tucking it into his robe. Nodding, he moved once more to the spot he had previously attempted writing the letter. On the other side of the pillar he could hear Julie shuffling her parchments, and then the on and off scratching of a quill.

"Mothers are a real bother," Sirius muttered into the chilled, dewy air.

"Yeah," Julie agreed softly, and resumed writing.

* * *

**A/N**: I know… Mighty big ending A/N, but I really wanted to show you I still really appreciate your reviews. 

Tennislvr1904- Hi! Thanks so much for taking the time to read all 53 chapters, I really appreciate it. I'm really glad you like the portrayal of each character too, it's hard to make them like everyone imagined. Btw are you Joe-Ann?

Highlandhottie- Wow! It rocks that you took the time to review all those chapters, it's really nice to have input on each one. Hehe actually that birthday announcement was from last year… it's already came and went again! But thanks anyway!

Wonderxwoman- Thanks : ) I'm glad you're enjoying it, and really appreciate your kind input. Oh and might I just say.. Wow! You are the only one to actually get the change from Lily and Julie talking to James and Sirius! Everyone else was really confused…

Purplereader- Well… you left two very extreme reviews, and I must say I was hurt by both of them. I tried to e-mail you but I don't think you revealed your address on your bio, because I just wanted to let you know I do care about the readers and was attempting with difficulty an update. So now I'm confused… have you 'given up on me' or are you still reading?

Jadekitten333- Hmm I wonder lol. Thanks for reading, I appreciate it!

Jamie88- Yay, glad you love it! Hehe don't worry I'm updating now : ) Thanks for the great review, it was really sweet.

Zippyfox- Wow, you read it in two days? Thanks for showing such enthusiasm! Oh my… My beta loves you now hehe. She always appreciates a little shout out ; )

James' Girl Lily- Glad you enjoyed the first couple of chapters, I hope you like the rest too!

Gal y1- Hi! I already talked to you about translating it into Hebrew… How's that going?

DisastaMasta- Hello! Don't worry I would never abandon it… I just had major computer issues as expressed at the top of this page. Thanks for showing you care though, and very glad you are enjoying it!

Bob- Thanks, I'm glad you think so : ) Yeah it's kinda cool they let you review anonymously.

Rachel- Hi! Oh no.. I'm not sure I got your review in my mail before, but I'm glad you got to continue reading! If you're still having trouble review or email me : )

Kat44- Ah yes… didn't think of rush! Hehe. I'm really glad you enjoyed every chapter, you made _my _day by telling me that : )

Dragon Rider22- Yeah it's a long sucker, isn't it? I'm glad you enjoyed it : )

Siiarrei- Aw, thanks! Your review was awesome, I'm so very glad you're enjoying it : ) Yeah I agree with you… homework sucks. But school's out now, yay!

Oceanmist05- Hi! Thanks, I'm glad you think I'm doing a fantastic job… That really makes me feel great. I er.. tried to update quickly, thanks for the prompting!

Reader4ever- Hmm I'll have to look chapter 21 over. I'm glad you liked it! Ooh yeah, that whole Moony spelling made me angry too : ( The next movie looks better though! Ah and I promise the 'boys getting into the girls dormitory' mystery will be explained soon.

Tweeny-weeny- Yeah… it has been forever eh? Oh well, I'm trying harder now. I'm glad that you enjoyed it, that makes me really glad : ) Ooh and very happy you don't hate Kirk! By the way, who was the friend that suggested the story to you?

TapDancingSpiders- Hello! I'm really pleased you took the time to read this monster of a story, and to review too. Ooh let me know how your story is going, I'll check it out : )

Bininny- Lol yeah, I literally cringed when I read over chapter three. I hate that I made them like that so early on.. but oh well, nothing I can do about it now. I'm glad you think it's promising though!

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Myfavcolorispink- Aw, thanks so much! Your review was so sweet, I'm really really glad you're enjoying it : )

TajM- Ugh yeah, first year sucks major lol. I'm excited for the higher years too though, it's okay!

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Emps- Ah yes.. Poor, poor Lily ; ) I'm glad you liked the chapter, thanks for the review!

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Oboedude517- ANDY! Gah I can't believe you found it, lol. Grr Amanda… Haha it's so funny reading over all your comments… did you like Val and Angie? ; ) Oh yes, of course witches like Aerosmith! Especially Grace cuz she rocks like that. (and she was muggle bred, remember? Hehe) Okay well you probably don't remember any of this but… thanks for reading!

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Scooby-doo-poo- Lol yes _I _know James was supposed to wait, and _you_ know James was supposed to wait, but unfortunately James did not… Ooh yes I'll try to squeeze you in this summer, thanks for the review!

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HarryluvsMoaningMyrtle- wow, sorry about the wait, but here is the next installment for your reading pleasure, I'm glad you liked peeves song I liked writing it!

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Ieyre- Kirk _is _boring! Sorry about making you wait so long for this next chapter, but here it is for your reading pleasure and enjoy! I can't wait till 7th year too, it will be interesting, thanks for the review once again!

erisedxdesire- hmm, was this too long of a wait for you, hehe, sorry about the long wait! Sirius is always a barrel of laughs, thanks for the awesome review!

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IamSiriusgrl- Thanks for the awesome review, and so sorry for the long wait! You will find out all about if peeves saw the James and Lily kiss in this chapter! I hope you enjoy!

idea-expander- Why hello there idea-expander! My beta is very awesome, and she is the person I look up to and I want to be just like her. Sigh, if only….. Angie and Val Rock!

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**26 more days!**


	55. The Scarlet Librarian

Standing There By You

Chapter 55- The Scarlet Librarian

**A/N: **Hello! Phew, this is an _extremely _long update, but frankly, I just want to get to the Holidays. Beta and I have to sort out whether they will arrive next chapter or the one after that, but either way they're coming quickly.

Oh, and _guys_… I must say I was a tad disappointed by how many people asked '26 days till what?' I am, to specify, counting down the days until the oh-so-brilliant JKR releases her almighty sixth book! Lol I guess I didn't really think to label it, sorry about that.

9 days left now and I can hardly breathe I'm so excited, by the time I update next it will be out- oh my! If anyone ever wants to chat about it or anything else, my AIM is Elenya2, feel free to IM me!

Ah right, the story.

* * *

Remus Lupin was not daft. In fact, he was feeling rather proud. It was awful acting as if he had forgotten what this weekend meant… but it was really for the better. If his friends knew, they would blow it, if Grace knew she would torment him until he told her what was going on.

No, this time Remus was going to do things right. He had spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to think up the perfect thing to do, until finally he decided one could never go wrong with food. It was easy to coax the House Elves into giving them snacks or sweets whenever they desired, but it was an entirely different story, he soon found out, to request their permission to actually _cook_ in the kitchen. After many hours of pleading and assuring them their products really _were_ top notch, he just wanted to give it a shot himself, they finally grudgingly agreed. He woke up early the day of, an hour ungodly, as Sirius had complained, prepared to give it his best go.

A line of the little fellows had formed around him as he stirred and poured and baked away, and occasionally a few would shake their heads or tsk quietly at a mess or if he added too much salt or sugar, but overall they stayed calm and out of his way. In the end he achieved a steamy French Onion Soup, attempted Chicken Marsala, added a portion of spaghetti and meatballs in case the previous didn't work out, and finished it off with a hefty helping of cheesecake- his mum's old recipe. To conceal it he placed the items in a well scrubbed carton he had 'borrowed' from James that was normally used for carrying quidditch supplies, lined with a small blanket for picnicking. Currently his creation sat snuggled safely in a corner beneath his bed, and he thought of it and the day that was to come blissfully as he climbed the boys' staircase to retrieve it.

---

"Fifteen days till the Holidays," Angie sang, bouncing up and down on her mattress. She smiled goofily from beneath a Santa's hat she donned as she attempted to sip a flask of butterbeer at the same time.

"Practically fourteen," Lily chimed in as she smiled and bounced slightly on her own bed. "Sundays hardly count- they're so lazy and all."

"Fourteen days till the Holidays!" Val agreed from across the room. She tugged at her knee-high red and white striped stockings. "Thirteen if you're not counting next Sunday either!"

As Lily giggled at this Grace looked over at her and frowned, still in a very bitter mood. "Since when do you get into this holly-jolly junk?"

"I don't know," Lily shrugged, tossing a pillow at her unusually pessimistic friend. "It's just nice to have something to look forward to."

Julie nodded from her spot by the window. "It's really beautiful here in the winter." She looked at Lily and winked. "Perfect time for romance, eh?"

Lily's shoulders drooped. "Thanks for ruining absolutely any positive feelings I was having," she shook her head, "by reminding me of that _jerk_," she closed her eyes briefly to prove her disgust. "Do you know what Potter did this morning? He--,"

"Lily," Julie stopped her babbling friend, looking slightly entertained. "I was referring to Kirk. You know, your _boyfriend_? The one I would be apt to associate with any sort of romance?"

Lily snapped her mouth shut. "Oh. Well I- I knew that." She straightened up and shrugged unconvincingly. "I was just so riled about… Well anyway yes, Christmastime is quite pretty."

Grace raised a brow. "So it's going good with the Kirkster, then."

"Um, yes." Lily tapped her foot several times in contemplation before ducking beneath her bed. "Look," she said, reappearing with three very large books. "He just lent me these fabulous novels--,"

"Remind me," Angie rolled her eyes at Val. "Is she dating a boy or a library?"

The others snickered, but at Lily's not-so-pleasant face Julie stopped laughing. "Really, Lily… we asked about Kirk, not his books."

The red-head frowned. "He's… fine, I guess. I don't know." She looked hopefully at one of the hardbacks. "But wouldn't you like to hear about this novel?" she attempted meekly. "It's so intricately formed and…" she trailed off at the looks her four dorm-mates were giving her.

"Wow," Val said, a sly grin spreading across her face. "I never would've thought Lily Evans had it in her."

Lily's eyes darted up to look at her. "What do you mean?"

The brunette giggled. "You're using a boy for his _books_, Lily. You're like the Scarlet Lady." She frowned. "Switch the books for a handsome man and you've got your own daytime movie."

"I am not!" Lily immediately looked to her friends for support. "I would never do that!"

Julie gave a loyal, albeit weak smile, but Grace simply shrugged. "Well they are all you ever talk about."

"I-," Lily seemed to shrink. "That's not true, I…" She wavered and frowned, finally falling back heavily onto her bed in surrender. "Well he's just so _boring_."

"It's all right, Lily," Julie attempted to comfort her. "You don't have to like him."

Lily pulled a pillow over her face. "I _am_ a Scarlet Librarian, aren't I?"

* * *

"Mmm…" Sirius said contently, licking a bit of sauce off his fingers. "Pass me some more Italian, James."

Remus found that at the moment it was very hard to breathe. And also to refrain from beating each of his friends to a pulp with one of Madame Hooch's spiky loafers.

"Oh, hello Remus," Peter greeted his very pale looking friend, as he gulped down a large portion of steaming soup. "You'll never guess what we've found! A whole basket full of--,"

"Wait," Remus interrupted in a strangled voice. "Let me guess: a steamy bowl of French Onion Soup, Chicken Marsala, spaghetti and meatballs and a hefty helping of cheesecake?"

"Exactly," James grinned, a bit of graham-cracker crust in the corner of his mouth. "Wow, you're good. Is that your keen werewolf scent kicking in?"

"My keen were- no, no…" Remus said faintly. "That, that's just my entire _day_ and _future _and _prospect _for a _monumental occasion _that you're eating…that's all."

"Wow." Sirius said after a long moment or two. He spit out the meatball he was chewing into a napkin and handed it to Remus. "Well, here."

"Oh that's just _grand_," Remus simpered scarily. "Here- I'll just say 'Hey Grace, I like you a whole lot, this year's been great, here's a chewed-up meatball with essence of Sirius's spit to show I care!'"

James raised a brow. "Sorry mate, but you shouldn't have hidden it in a roomful of hungry teenage boys. And it probably would've been helpful if you would've _told_ us what it was for, instead of hiding it in an object I look through every day before practice."

"I know," Remus relented, sitting on his bed with a sigh. He rubbed his temple. "Oh… What am I going to do now?"

Sirius shrugged. "Do you have to do anything? I'm sure Grace doesn't expect a festival thrown for her _every_ day."

Remus shook his head. "One year anniversary," he said miserably.

"Yikes," Sirius blanched.

James grimaced. "You're screwed."

Peter nodded his input from behind a checkered napkin. "Mm-hmm."

"Thanks guys," Remus sank into his mattress. "Thanks a lot."

"Oh," James said suddenly, looking thoughtful. "You know, one year my dad forgot his and mum's anniversary. Or Valentine's Day, or… well something absurd like that…"

"Really?" Remus sat up hopefully. "What did he do?"

James laughed, remembering. "He went to my Grandma's house and told her he was looking for something to cheer mum up, because she was sick with the flu, of course- he stretched the truth a bit- and she was more than happy to give him something with," he cleared his throat, and said importantly, "_emotional value_. That's what dad called it, anyway. It was some dumb charm my mom wore when she was a little girl, I don't know, but either way it worked. And she still doesn't know till this day," James looked around at his friends, especially Sirius, "so don't any of you mention it. Or he'll probably kill you."

"Why are you looking at me?" Sirius knitted is brows.

"No reason."

"That's all well and good," Remus said quickly, before Sirius could respond, "but where am I going to find something like that?"

James lifted a shoulder. "I dunno. Doesn't she have a relative that lives somewhere near here?"

"Well, yeah…" Remus said slowly, "she has an aunt that lives two or three miles off of the next town over, but… how would I get there? We aren't allowed to leave Hogwarts."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "You have a broomstick, don't you? Don't be a ninny, would you rather do something against the rules or have an immensely upset girlfriend? You must realize Remus, a present like this would make her very, _very_ happy." He winked.

After a nanosecond of deliberation, Remus nodded. "Hand me my broomstick."

---

"That looks atrocious."

Angie stopped weaving holly into her bouncy blonde locks to look up at Grace. "Does it really?"

Grace snorted, flipping to another page in her magazine. "Well _I_ think it looks festive," Val said firmly, giving her forlorn friend a reassuring pat on the back. She took a twig of holly for her own hair. "Aren't you Miss Sourpuss today?" she snapped at Grace.

"Yeah Grace," Lily said, as her friend rolled her eyes in response to the girls' reactions. "Why are you in such a horrid mood?"

Grace looked as if she was going to give yet another terse reply, so Julie scooted across the seat until she was beside her and took the magazine from her hands, tapping her lightly on the head. "Go on, what's the matter?"

She looked grouchy at first, but after a few moments she softened, slumping against Lily's bedpost. "He forgot," she said unhappily. "How in the _world _could he forget?"

Lily and Julie glanced at one another quickly before turning back to their desolately baffled friend. "Forgot what?" Lily asked carefully, for fear she would fall back into her snappish mood.

"He can remember the Tirade of Colterks and the date of every single invention and battle," she continued, seemingly lost in her own puzzled world, "but he can't remember the day that marks our one _year_ anniversary."

"He _forgot_?" Julie asked, stunned. "That's so…"

"Un-Remus," Lily finished for her. She gave Grace a sympathetic smile. "Maybe he… has a lot on his mind," she attempted.

"Yeah," Julie nodded. "He has seemed really tired lately, and it's rough, you know, with all that homework the teachers are piling on…"

"I guess," Grace said, frowning.

"Honey," Angie called across the room. This was the first time the three girls realized their dorm-mates had been listening. "This is a modern world!"

Grace brushed aside a lock of raven hair, looking up strangely at the girl. "What?"

"She's right," Val agreed, nodding. "Nowadays the girl is expected to do just as much as the guy is. Maybe he's waiting for you to do something. And if he's not… Well take matters into your own hands. Anyway, it's possible he really did remember, but is just waiting for you to take the first plunge."

Grace considered this. "Maybe… But it doesn't really- well I just don't think Remus really goes for that 'modern' stuff, you know. I'm not sure…"

When she looked up to her two friends for their opinions, Julie shrugged. "It is possible that they're right, I suppose." She frowned, looking very uncertain.

"I think you should go for it," Lily said. "It's better than lingering around here and feeling horrible, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Grace nodded. She stood up and made her way towards the door. "Thanks," she said. Before exiting she spun quickly around. "Oh, and sorry about before," she plucked a twig of holly off the dresser and stuck it in her own mass of locks. "The red berries do go marvelously with your hair."

Grace could practically feel Angie beaming as she turned back around and headed down the girls' staircase. She took long strides to make her way across the common room, meanwhile trying to sort out the jumbled thoughts inside of her. Unfortunately she did not succeed in this endeavor at all, and realized that for the first time since last Christmas she actually had butterflies tumbling in her stomach. These weren't nearly as enjoyable as they had been back then however, and only added to her mixed up thoughts. Finally, she found she had much too quickly arrived at the Fifth Year dormitory; she took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly, before knocking several times on the wooden door.

"Oh, hello." Peter darted a glance into his dormitory before looking back at Grace. "What is it?"

"I'm looking for Remus," she told him, standing on her toes to try and peer into the room.

"Oh, sorry," said Peter, "you've just missed him. He's just er, taken a ride on his broomstick for a bit."

Grace blinked. "He left?" she asked, deflating slightly.

"Yes, sorry," Peter began to step back into the room. "Try back again later." He nodded his goodbye and closed the door quickly, feeling rather proud that he had managed not to spoil his friend's surprise.

Grace remained standing still before the closed door, feeling even worse than she had before. Determined not to show it, she pushed her hair back roughly and turned to return to her own dormitory as fast as possible. It was going to take _loads_ of Ben and Jerry's to fix this.

---

"Who was that?" James asked, glancing up at the door.

"Grace," Peter told him, and smiled. "She was looking for Remus. I told her he was out for a bit, and didn't mention one _word_ about the anniversary."

Sirius cringed. "That's going to be one terribly miserable girl," he shook his head in pity.

"You can say that again," James agreed. "Let's just hope her Aunt has a substantial amount of items with emotional value."

"Uh-huh," Sirius said. He shifted on his bed so he could have a better view of the window, and observed the far off trees of the Forbidden Forest with a distracted sort of interest. "You know," he began; he talked as if directed to no one in particular, but James turned to look at him anyway. "Those brownie barrages we ordered for the hols should start simmering tomorrow, if you want them to be the right texture."

"Ah…" James's watchful gaze remained on his friend, but Sirius continued to stare outside in the other direction. "Right, I'll remember that."

Sirius nodded, still gazing unblinkingly. After a few minutes of this, he reached to scratch his left ear and tilted his head toward James. "I really did want to stay," he told him finally. "They just…"

"Yeah, I know." James inclined his head understandingly. "Those batty old fools like to ruin everything, don't they?"

"Yeah…" Sirius shifted so that he was lying on the bed with his feet propped up on the bedpost. "So," he said, voice returning to its usual tone. "Kirk throw a book at you yet for slobbering all over his girlfriend?"

James snorted. "Like he'd waste a precious book on that. Besides, he's so puny I'd be surprised if he could throw a tiny paperback book _one eighth_ the distance I could throw a bag of three dozen bludgers."

"Oh, of course," Sirius agreed. "No question."

"You know, I was thinking," James began, scooting to the edge of his mattress. "The next Quidditch match is against the Ravenclaws, right after the Holidays, so if- er, _when-_ I do really well, we'll win, right, and the whole house's spirits will be up, and well, if _everyone's_ spirits are high, then…"

Sirius frowned thoughtfully. "I do think Lily has more House spirit than she lets on; and Kirk will be glum and boring as usual at his own team's loss. That's where you're going with this, isn't it?"

"Yeah…" James leaned back onto his pillow. "So just maybe - if I play my cards right, she'll be cheerful enough for me to get a word in, perhaps to remind her of my impressive performance…"

Watching his friend, Sirius lifted a curious brow. "James," he began musingly. "Why the sudden rebound? Yesterday you had practically given up on all of humanity."

"I don't know," James said, honestly confused himself. "I just… I don't know." He crawled forward and knelt on the end of his bed, giving him a good view of his image in the mirror on the opposite wall. Lifting his head high, he grinned and effectively roughed up his hair to appear as if he had just stepped off a broomstick. "This new tactic should work though, eh?"

"Eh," Sirius affirmed.

* * *

Remus's heart pounded wildly in his chest as he reached to knock on a hand-painted old wooden door. All around him small clay statues of forest critters grinned, chimes danced and rang in the wind, and colorful murals lay propped up against trees and bushes-- it wasn't very hard to see where Grace had gotten her artistic side from. Just as he thought maybe a blue-spotted ceramic camel resting two feet away would have enough 'emotional value', the door opened widely and a very pretty lady looked back at him with an interested smile. Clearly the artistic trait wasn't the only thing Grace had acquired from her.

"Hello," the lady greeted, smoothing down a violet checkered apron. She eyed his somewhat desperate appearance. "Are you lost?"

"Oh," Remus began, embarrassed. "No… I-- you're Grace Shadron's Aunt Eliza, right?"

"Oh, yes," she said, smile growing. "Do you know her?"

"Yes I do," he nodded, and held out his hand politely. "Hello Ma'am, I'm Remus Lupin, and you see I'm in a bit of a pickle--,"

"_Remus Lupin_?" she repeated, looking pleasantly surprised. "Oh, I remember hearing all about you!"

"Really?" Remus grinned. He reminded himself to stay focused. "Well you see, today's actually our one year…"

He proceeded to tell her the whole story and to explain the predicament he was it, and when he finally finished Grace's aunt was looking thoughtfully at the ceiling, and tapping a shoe in contemplation.

"You know," she said slowly, "I think I might have just the thing. Wait here for a second."

"Oh, all right- thanks," said Remus, feeling much more relieved. Perhaps everything would work out after all. As he waited for the kind lady he envisioned how he was going to give the item to Grace and what her reaction might be, putting a drowsy smile across his face. Grace's aunt came hurrying back into the room a few minutes later, bringing him back from his blissful thoughts.

"Here," she said excitedly, holding up a basket made up of wicker and tiny intertwined silk flowers. "Her birth-mother- my sister- and I used to play with this tea set all the time when we were children - it was given to her by our grandmother and she planned to give it to _her_ daughter, but then she got sick, you know, and had to give her up for adoption…" she paused a moment and took a small breath, before continuing with a pleasant smile. "But Grace will love it, I'm sure. She's examined it a bit on the occasions she was here, and vaguely knows the story-," with a slender finger she propped open the lid to reveal the items inside. "And it's a _gorgeous_ set, see - pure silver!"

Remus leaped immediately in the opposite direction- which rather unfortunately for him was a solid brick wall.

"Oh dear," Eliza said, setting down the basket and hurrying over to him. "Are you all right?"

Remus nodded hurriedly, taking a wobbly step up off the ground and safely distancing himself from the basket. "Oh no, I'm fine," he attempted a laugh, "there was just a uh… bug."

"Oh," she looked a bit confused, but smiled anyway. "Well, here you are then." She reached for the basket.

Remus began to panic. He hadn't anticipated things could go so very badly- and just when everything was looking perfect. There was no way Remus could tell Grace's aunt that he didn't want the gift… after the story she had explained about the tea set he would look like an insensitive, absolute git. But he couldn't accept it- one bit of contact with anything remotely silver and his wonderfully lycanthropic self rejected it immediately, with awful side effects to boot. And trying to explain to the lady that her niece was dating a werewolf… well that wasn't even an option.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Eliza said, concerned. "You're looking a bit sick."

"I'm… fine," lied Remus. If he didn't take the gift he'd have nothing for Grace… he couldn't disappoint her like that. "Right, then. I'll go get my broomstick."

---

Remus skidded along the ground, dragging his feet to bring him to a stop as quickly as possible. For the fifth time on what had seemed like such a short trip on the way there, his flight was interrupted due to a rebellious immune system and the fact that everything around him looked upside down. "Ugh," he moaned out loud, crawling to lean against a large oak tree. He had no idea where he was, but didn't really care, either. A few feet away lay his broomstick, a brown sac hanging off one end of it with the sick-inducing items resting securely inside. The bag he had found abandoned on the side of a road succeeded in at least weakening the effect of the silver cups and saucers, but somehow they still managed to sicken him to the point of stopping every five minutes, or ten if he was lucky. He sighed heavily. At this rate it was looking as if he might not even make it for their_ next_ anniversary.

Rolling to his side with as much effort he could muster, an act meant to allow him some rest, he sat up suddenly when he heard a figure quite some distance away bellowing his name. "What?" he swiveled around dizzily. "Who's there?"

Lily did feel awful about the whole situation she had found herself mixed up in, and she certainly didn't want to disclose such news to Kirk so close to the holidays-- but it was quite necessary that she rid of her Scarlet Librarian guise as quickly as possible. She smiled to herself as she stared out the grand windows and into the darkening outdoors; she was rather proud of her personal feat, and it felt as if nothing could ruin this pleasurable moment of realization as she made her way down the corridor.

"Why, hello Evans."

_Almost _nothing.

Lily scowled and kept walking. "Go on, what is it?" James tilted his head with feigned concern. "You're not being your usual bickering self."

"Go away," she said sharply, keeping her eyes directed on the dim scenery outside.

"There's my girl." James had to pick up his pace a bit in order to keep up with her. "So how's life?" he continued amiably, as if she was interested in having an actual conversation. "Schoolwork's as fun as ever, eh? Your family well? That's nice. How's Kirk?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Nice tact," she chided. "He's fine. They're… fine. Now go away."

"All right," James shrugged. "I was just wondering what you're doing out in the corridors this late."

"Not your business."

"Mmm… I see," James nodded, maintaining a speed and pace similar to hers.

Lily sighed. "You're not going to leave me along until I tell you, are you?"

"Not planning on it."

"Fine," she continued crossly. "I'm going to see Kirk, if you must know." She turned sharply around a corner, almost throwing James off track.

"Ah," he said lightly, taking several long strides to keep up. It wasn't too difficult- Lily was a good foot shorter than he. "Well isn't that convenient! I was just about to have a chat with him myself."

Lily stopped walking suddenly. "No, you weren't. Potter, I mean it-- you're _not_ coming with me."

---

"H-Hagrid?"

The large man grunted in response, kneeling down beside Remus. "Are yeh all righ', Remus?"

Remus wished sincerely he had thought to bring James's invisibility cloak. "I'm fine," he said quickly. "I- I just…"

Hagrid knitted his brows. "Wha' are yeh doin' out 'ere anyway? Yere lucky I was runnin' an errand for Dumbledore or God knows wha' could o' ha'en to you in this state."

"I- I…" Remus couldn't speak. He was going to be suspended. Expelled, even. His career was over. His future was over. He was never-

"Are yeh goin' ter be sick?"

Remus gulped. "There's a good chance, yes."

"Ah... Well, when yer well enough ter ge' up I'll hail the Knight Bus for yeh – there's no way you can ride yer broomstick in a condition like this. Once yer off I'll let Dumbledore know yer comin'--,"

"No!" Remus shakily stood up and leaned against the large tree. "I- I'm fine—please Hagrid, don't tell the Headmaster."

Hagrid glanced down at the boy. "Not tell Dumbledore? Now Remus, I can't do that. How are yeh supposed to get back home on yer own, anyway?"

"It's not a long walk from where the Knight bus would drop me off," Remus insisted. "Trust me, I could make it, I--,"

Hagrid's confused expression suddenly relaxed into a knowing one. "Ah, yeh don't want Dumbledore to know yer off school grounds," he comprehended the situation. "Is tha' it?"

"Yeah," came Remus's rushed response.

Hagrid nodded perceptively, stroking his long beard in thought. "Well, I won't tell 'im," he said finally.

"Really?" Remus's sickly features brightened. "Thanks, Hagrid!"

"Ah, but," he patted Remus consolingly on the shoulder. The boy flinched at the thought of the bruises that were sure to form. "There's a very good chance he already knows. Maps and devices and gadgets everywhere ter le' him know what's goin' on, tha' man."

Remus shrunk against the tree. "Oh…"

"Well, c'mon," Hagrid lifted him beneath the elbows until he was standing upright. He pulled out a peculiar pink umbrella. "I'll flag that darn bus down fer yeh."

---

"Hello, Kirk," Lily greeted with a soft smile. She perched on the edge of one of the many desks that occupied the Ravenclaw common room, and waited for him to look up his from homework.

"Hi," he said distractedly, still scribbling. He glanced curiously in her direction. "Oh, hello James…"

"Hello," James grinned.

Lily bit her lip to refrain from cursing. "Sorry, Kirk, I couldn't rid of this cockroach."

The fair-haired boy shrugged. "It's all right," he said quickly, before returning to his assignment.

Lily sighed tiredly. She had half-expected him to tell James to get out, or at least to suggest an alternative place they could talk. "I need to speak with you for a bit," she hinted, nodding toward James and not caring if he noticed or not.

"Mm… Aren't we speaking right now?"

James snickered. "I thought Ravenclaws were supposed to be smart," he muttered to Lily.

She ignored him. "Privately, Kirk."

"Lily," he said, expression growing a tad irate. "You know I can't stand it when my concentration is broken. Especially during an important assignment like this- History of Magic requires extreme application."

Suddenly it was a lot easier for Lily to continue forth with what she had to say. "Kirk," she continued readily, "we _need _to talk."

James shook his head. "Oh look, you've gone and gotten her all riled up-,"

"Shove off, Potter..." Lily spat.

"I don't see what's so _important_," Kirk set down his quill exasperatedly, "can't it wait-,"

"What do you mean?" she exclaimed. "I'm trying to tell you--,"

"You're such a bleeding idiot…"

"Shove _off_, Potter!"

"Well _excuse_ me…"

"Who's an idiot? Are you calling me an idiot?"

"Good job, Evans you picked a real clever one--,"

"I'll have you know my father was voted brightest in his class!"

"Would you two--,"

"Eh, must've been upset when his genius genes skipped a generation."

"They did not--,"

"_Hey_!" Lily shouted, unable to restrain herself any longer, "I'm _trying_ to break up with you!"

Both boys stopped exchanging blows immediately and threw a side-glance at the other. "Er, who are you talking to?" Kirk asked.

Lily put her head in her hands. "You," she said, and then paused to soften her voice. "I'm really sorry, Kirk, I didn't mean to say it like that…" she sighed. Her life really _was_ a daytime movie.

"Oh," Kirk frowned. "Well, all right then… I guess I'll see you around." He reached forward to tuck his books and parchment into an over-flowing bag, and hurried to make his way up the boys' staircase.

"Ugh," Lily slid off the desk, watching Kirk disappear into the boys' dormitories. "That was awful."

James grinning beside her did not help at all.

"What _is_ it with you?" she said angrily, turning in the opposite direction to exit the Ravenclaw common room.

"I'm sorry," he said, forcing himself to frown. "You're right, that was awful."

"It was awful," Lily swiveled around to face him, "because of _you_. Oh I just can't believe how insensitive you are!"

"Ah," James tilted his head with concern. "I know this is a trying time for you Evans, so I'm all right with you unleashing some pent up emotion on me."

"Oh Potter," she snarled, "You wouldn't be able to _move_ if I unleashed all of my 'pent up emotion' on you."

"Ah right, right." James nodded slowly, as they began to venture down the corridor once more.

It was pretty upsetting how distressed Lily felt now in comparison to how at ease she had been before. But the longer she walked in silence down the corridor with her irritating housemate by her side, the more she found that what bothered her most was Kirk's indifferent attitude rather than James's intrusive actions. She had expected him to at least show a _fragment _of disappointment.

"Poor bloke." Having been abnormally quiet for so long, Lily nearly jumped at the sound of James's voice. Beside her, he shook his head. "He didn't even see it coming."

Lily shrugged, trying to remain nonchalant. "He didn't seem that distressed."

"He was," James nodded knowingly. He snuck a glance in her direction. "Who wouldn't be?"

"Mmm…" Lily said, mostly because she had no idea with what to respond. She turned her head quickly to look at him, searching for a smirk or teasing grin, but found neither. She was almost taken aback- a genuine compliment from James was something she had never anticipated receiving.

"Evans," he continued, looking at her with that atypical serious expression. "Could I ask you a question?"

"I," she began, mind boggled at his sudden and unusual sincerity, "I suppose so."

"Is the reason you broke it off with him," he began with an interested grin, "that my kiss thrilled you _so _much you were suddenly hit with the realization that Kirk could never bring you such joy and were forced to end it with him immediately in the first step to getting together with me, the only one that can truly satisfy your needs?"

Lily grinned inwardly as she stomped forcefully on his toes, happy now that everything was back to normal. "_Git_."

James, however, took it into consideration that she never truly answered his question.

* * *

Remus panted heavily, collapsing on the hearthrug beside the fireplace. It had cost him nearly the entire day, his lunch, and his reputation as a Prefect- but he finally found himself back in the idyllic surroundings of the Gryffindor common room. After reaching Hogsmeade by the Knight Bus, he had created a device out of a thin rotting branch that allowed him a good four or five foot distance from the silver pieces, so the remainder of the journey hadn't been too terrible. He didn't have time to rest, because for any of this to be worth it he had to reach Grace by the end of the day. It was very dark around him, and he worried it was close to or past midnight; he set off quickly to Grace's dormitory.

Unfortunately he was forced to leave the branch behind and tie the gift onto the end of his broomstick instead- there was no way he could fly with both items. Settling on his trusty flying device, he leaned back as far as possible away from the silver tea set and prepared to fly.

He and his friends learned early in their Hogwarts careers that boys were not permitted or able to take the steps up to the girls' dormitories, but, as James had announced at the time, true wizards can always find alternatives. The gradual flight up the rather narrow stairwell was quite difficult, especially while attempting to avoid one end of his broomstick, but finally he found himself exactly where he needed to be.

Slowly Remus opened the door. He was careful not to wake the other girls, but at this point he was getting rather desperate to reach Grace, and made that his main concern instead. Hopping off his broomstick now that he was on solid ground, he stumbled his way onto Grace's bed and dragged the bag along with him.

"Remus?" Grace admonished, voice groggy and confused. "What…"

"I'm sorry," he said, collapsing weakly onto the end of her bed. "I… There was food, and- and they ate it, and…" with a slight groan he rolled onto his other side, in hopes to shield the continuous effect of the silver.

"What are you talking about?" Grace asked concernedly, sitting upright and leaning over him. "Remus, are you all right? You look--,"

"I'm fine," he said, sitting up. He was very grateful that the dark room prevented her from seeing his distressed face. "Listen, I just- I didn't forget. I was stupid, I wanted it to be a surprise and-," shaking his head, he cut off his explanation and sighed. "It isn't past midnight, is it?"

"No," Grace shook her head. "You just made it."

"Good," he said, glad _something_ had gone right. He motioned to the bag he had set beside the bed. "That's for you."

"Oh, all-right," Grace nodded, looking interested. "I got you something too… but I was a bit upset before at you forgetting at all," she smiled apologetically, "so it's er- sort of in a thousand bits and pieces under my mattress."

Remus laughed tiredly. "That's okay," he said, "I shouldn't have tried to trick you in the first place. I'm just glad I'm back."

Grace smiled too. So am I allowed to open this?"

"Ah, sure," Remus consented. "Just- just stay where you are, though."

"All right…" she eyed him curiously as she reached inside the bag. "Remus," she said confusedly, a smile growing slowly as she recognized the tea set at once. "How did you _get_ this?"

"Oh you know, just stopped by your aunt's for a spell," he said, smiling with reassurance now that he had witnessed her approval.

"Oh…" she leaned forward to wrap her arms around his shoulder and pull him into a hug, but stopped when he abruptly jerked backwards. "What is it?"

"I uh… can't come that close to silver," he explained, gesturing to the cup in her hands. "Werewolf thing… heh."

Grace stared at him, wide-eyed. "Well how in the world did you get it back here?"

Remus gave a slight shrug. "Oh, you know… it wasn't that much trouble."

A smile grew across her face as Grace blindly set the bag onto a pillow behind her. "Yeah," she said simply, but with a hint of knowing disbelief. With one arm she pushed some fallen locks out of the way, and with the other pulled him closer to her, lessening the distance between them until her lips very eagerly met his.

And suddenly Remus understood completely Mr. Potter's respect for emotional value.

* * *

**A/N**: Now, now, set aside any dirty thoughts because this is a K+ fic, remember? True I do not have a clue what K+ represents, but either way…

Thanks for reading!

JKRobsessed- Hi! Thanks so much for understanding and the kind review, I really appreciate it : )

Hazel Maraa- Glad you think so : ) Oh and it was 26 days till the sixth book, lol.

Erisedxdesire- Wow, thanks so much for understanding and empathizing with my computer misfortunes, your review was so nice. Aw, you mentioned me on Mugglenet? That's so cool!

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Rebel Rose- No, I'm still here! And I'm ready to write bunches : ) Yeah I'm sorry about the whole Sirius/Grace thing (I made it seem that way on purpose in the beginning) but you never know what twists and turns are on their way ; ) Thanks for the review!

HarryluvsMoaningMyrtle- I love that you're curious about things because it makes me eager to hurry up and write chapters to answer your questions. Thanks for the review!

RavenSiriusBlack- Yay, glad you thought it was an absolute joy : ) Yes I know… but McGonagall was just doing her job. 26 days until what? 26 days until Half Blood Prince! Hehe sorry I didn't specify.

Scooby-doo-poo- Hello! I'm glad you liked James, and also that you knew what the '26 days' meant, hehe. Hmm Johnny Depp in glasses sounds super hot to me. Except I always imagined him as more of a Sirius type. Ooh Deppgirl would be an awesome name, I hope no one already has it!

Kat44- Hmm nope, I never posted on fictionalley. I tried once but the site was kind of confusing. Thanks for the lovely review!

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IamSiriusgirl- Ooh you moved? How's that working out for you? Well anyway, thanks much for the review, I really appreciate it : )

Dulcis- Hi! I miss you : ( How's MICA? I'm expecting to meet a hot funky artist when we gather in Nevada.

Holly-Short-Evans- Thanks, I'm glad you like it : ) Don't worry, I'm writing much more now that my computer's back in shape.

DisastaMasta- Lol, my beta and I love to say your penname. It has a certain flow to it… Well anyway, thanks so much for taking the time to review, hope this chapter was updated early enough for you to remember what's going on!

Abby- Yep, the ball and Sirius's 'social gathering' will be in the next chapter. Thanks for the review, much appreciated!

Zippyfox- Hello! Aw, I'm glad you're enjoying it, your reviews are always so kind and enthusiastic. Thanks so much: )

Jamie88- Thanks for the review, mucho appreciated!

Sarah Warder- Hey! You're right, it has been a long time since we talked : ( Thanks so much for the kind review, I really appreciate it. Which state are you in, if you don't mind me asking?

BlueSeal- Yes… Poor Sirius : ( Thanks for the review, I hope you're having fun at work camp!

Sweet Sarcasm- But of course I'm a part of the countdown ; ) The Great Break.. Hmm sounds interesting. What exactly is it?

Mystikalolo- Lol, I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter so much and that it could keep you laughing : ) It's always nice to put a smile on someone's face. Hmm as for the question about the Shakespeare reference linking to James's kiss… Let's just say Shakespeare was a _very_ good writer.

Aratna- Ah, I'm writing, I'm writing! Hehe… I hope you're enjoying the story.

Sapphire039- Aw, I hate when that happens. Well I'm glad I'm back under your author alerts, ooh good luck with that phone and answering machine.. I know how dads can be with technology. Thanks for the review!

Highlandhottie- Of course I pre-ordered my story… and of course I'll keep writing this story! I figure if HBP has anything that will change my plot I can still work through it somehow. I couldn't finish by the time the book came, though. Thanks for the review!

m-girls- Okay, here's an update: )

Celebrien- Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Don't worry, more romance is soon to come.

Spork Princess- Hello! May I inquire what the meaning of your penname might be? Oh I checked out your story, great new chapter : ) Thanks for the review!

Myfavcolorispink- Thanks, I'm glad you liked it : ) Happy I could keep you laughing, I love when people enjoy it like that. The review's much appreciated!

Avovisto- Wow, thanks for such an amazing review! You said so many nice things about it that it actually made me smile. You're awesome, thanks again : )

Antara- Hmm I'm not sure what you mean by 'fix him up' since you're on chapter 33… but thanks for the review anyway.

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4 Privet Drive- Hey, great name : ) Glad you like the plot, I hope you enjoyed the rest!

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Mrs Bloom- Ahh.. lovely name ; ) I'm really excited you seem to like the fic so much, the enthusiasm is very appreciated! Lol yeah, I know James's head is getting a tad big, but that is how JKR described him in the 5th book so I'm just following her lead… Anyway, thanks again for taking so much time to read and review!

Mistress Editor- Wow, you remembered about the purple hair! Props for that. Sorry about the whole lack of updates… but I'm trying : )

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Blade13hjp- Don't worry, I'm updating as quickly as possible. ; )


	56. The Merry Bloody Holidays, Part One

Standing There By You

Chapter 56- The Merry Bloody Holidays, Part One

**I love you all-- my review count just caught up to the millennium!**

**: D**

**A/N:** Hello! I've decided to split the Holidays into two parts, so I could get everything in that I need to and still have relatively quick updates. This chapter is a sort-of introduction to get everything going, and the next one will be much more eventful. I hope you enjoy it anyway : )

---

"Miss Taylor," a very gangly, proper fellow greeted with a slight inclination of his head. "And Miss Taylor's friends, I presume? Follow me."

Lily and Grace both knew they looked incredibly stupid, standing there with their jaws quite near touching the hard concrete floor of the bustling Kings' Cross Station, but neither seemed able to control themselves.

"C'mon," Julie said, gesturing to her gaping friends as she made to follow the stiff middle-aged man.

"You have a _personal driver_?" Grace hissed in disbelief, attempting not to trip over her own two feet as she moved to follow the quick footed man. "Why didn't you ever tell us!"

Julie shook her head. "He's not my personal driver," she told Grace, running her fingers self-consciously through her hair.

"Sure looks like it to me," Lily gushed, eyes bright with curiosity. "Is he going to drive us in a big stretch limo? Will he take us wherever we'd like?"

"Let's go bowling!" Grace suggested excitedly. "How brilliant would it be if we went to a bowling alley in a big stretch limo?"

"He doesn't _drive_ a big stretch limo," protested Julie.

"Stop teasing us," Grace said. "Of course he's your personal driver, he's wearing white gloves isn't he? What other occupation would require one to wear _white gloves_?"

"Medical, dentistry, miming, performance arts-,"

"And plus," Grace continued loudly, ignoring Lily's astute reply, "he said the word 'presume'. How in the world could you get away with saying the word 'presume' if you weren't the personal driver of a big stretch limo?"

"You're still very off," Julie shrugged impassively, clipping her hair back with a fastener she had found in her pocket. "Mum just orders whatever cabana boy isn't busy at the moment to endeavor a trek across the moat and hop in the old hovercraft to come pick me or my sister up. She's a very busy woman that can't be bothered with trivial stuff like that. Plus, the hovercraft is ancient and inclined to shudder, which would mess up her nails _dreadfully_."

Grace's brows rose steadily. "You have a _moat_?"

---

Sirius wondered if it was mentally all right to despise an inanimate object as much as he presently did. He contemplated this, scowling at the stagnant door that stood before him. To be fair it wasn't an ordinary door, oh no. This door, with black paint coated gallingly across every inch of the fine wooden grain and a cool silver serpent adorning the center (which he considered to be a particularly tacky door-knocker, personally)-- yes, this door was one that was rather more problematic than most.

It wasn't exactly the furnishings, he mused, as a series of clicks and clanking sounded behind the door. A bitter lady with a face stretched unpleasantly from years of unwonted vexation poked her head out the door, nodding jerkily for him to hurry in before any prying muggles caught sight of them. No, he decided, giving the door a bit of a pat on his way in. It was rather what was waiting on the other side that maddened him so.

"Your brother arrived here an hour ago," his mother said sharply, returning to the kitchen where the clattering of many pots and pans could be heard. She placed herself on a stool and re-commenced furiously giving orders to their house elf, Kreacher. In-between directing the old elf to stir a pot of bubbling brown sauce and inspecting a dish of meat he had already prepared, she flashed her eyes imperiously upon Sirius. "I told you to come straight home."

"You also told me you'd have someone waiting to pick me up," Sirius responded dryly.

"And there was," Mrs. Black said coldly. "If you would have been prompt like your brother, perhaps they wouldn't have left without you."

Sirius gave a bark of dry laughter. "As if Regulus didn't tip him off after sprinting halfway across the station."

Mrs. Black snarled, glaring at her son for daring to talk back to her. "Bring your trunk up-stairs," she ordered brusquely. And motioning upwards, she added, "Take your brother's to his room too, he seems to have forgotten it."

"Forgotten it my arse," Sirius scoffed, giving the shiny black trunk a kick as he stepped past and bent down to only grab his own. His irate mother's shrieks that followed promised both a headache and no more than '_half your broiled ham!_', if he was lucky.

"Welcome home," said Regulus, sneering coolly from the stair-well.

Sirius remained undeterred, dragging his trunk with more effort. "And a Happy Bloody Christmas to you, too."

---

"Welcome, darlings!"

Julie's companions stared upon their greeter with an immediate sense of respect and awe. Never before had they viewed someone so flawless, so impeccably presented- even the seam that graced the very bottom of her fashionable robes glistened with an effect to match her brilliantly lined and shining eyes.

"Lily, Grace," Julie motioned to them respectively. "This is my mother."

Lily smiled cordially. "Lovely to meet you, Miss Aub--,"

"Oh dear," her mum interrupted fluidly, shaking her head with a titter and directing her gaze at the girls. "Call me Marietta, please. Miss Aubine makes me sounds so _old_."

Grace and Lily smiled at the comment, the former stepping forward to introduce herself with a brisk shake of the hand. "Hello," she said excitedly, taking in her stunning surroundings. "Beautiful house, thanks so much for letting us stay."

"My pleasure," Marietta smiled amiably. "It's simply wonderful to finally meet you both; I can't believe how gorgeous you are."

Lily allowed her lips to rise into a grin at the compliment-- Marietta Aubine had an air about her that made her appear both gentle and genuine. "Thanks Miss- Marietta," she corrected herself at the lady's playfully warning look.

"I only speak the truth," she said with a wink.

"Mum," Julie said, motioning to their luggage. "Where should we put this?"

"Several guest rooms are prepared for you upstairs," Marietta said, gesturing across the hall to the lavish stair-well. Looking back at her daughter she flicked her eyes upwards, clicking her tongue in disapproval. "Your hair is a mess, Julie," she readjusted the clip fastened in her locks with swift fingers. Sighing because it didn't seem to have the effect she was hoping for, she tapped her twice on the shoulder and motioned toward the stairs. "Better hurry along then, dinner will be ready soon."

The girls were grateful for this statement, having had nothing for lunch except sweets from the train. "All right," Julie said, fiddling with her clip as she moved forward to lead the way.

While Lily took her time to wander and observe the attractive entrance hall, Grace did not hesitate to scramble quickly behind Julie. "Will your personal chef be making the meal, then?" She smiled as Julie groaned, and hurried up the winding stair-case.

A little while later the girls followed Julie back downstairs to a room with charming furnishings and a lovely place setting for each of them. They found a spot quickly, eager to be served whatever smelled so delicious in the center of the large table. Seated across the room was a bouncy young girl searching her surroundings with eager green eyes that precisely matched Marietta Aubine's.

Lily smiled and waved, recognizing her as Julie's little sister. "Hey 'Bec," she greeted.

Rebecca smiled back toothily, giggling a bit. "Grace, this is my sister Rebecca," Julie introduced, stepping towards the little girl and giving her a fond pat on the head.

"Wow," Grace's eyes widened with interest, "she looks _just _like your mum."

"Lucky one, no?" Marietta joked lightly, stepping into the room. Upon her entrance the resemblance between her and her youngest child was uncanny: From her golden hair of soft spiral curls to her tiny feministic features, it was as if the child had no other parental influence beside her. Turning back to her eldest daughter and her friends, she waved her hand across the table. "I hope you're all hungry, Bancroft has cooked up so much food…"

Grace raised her eyebrows at Julie, ducking before she sniggered aloud; the latter girl merely shook her head, despite the trace of a slowly forming smirk. Hungry as an ox, Lily did not hesitate to scoop loads of the delicious soups and cuisine on her plate; between doing so however, she took a moment to judge the similarities between Julie and her mother, and found immediately that they weren't nearly as significant as the ones of Rebecca. The only resembling trait that really stood out was the hair color; her mother seemed to have put a good amount of effort into making her own have a glossy and elegant flair. The delicate facial features of the middle-aged woman were able to be traced in Julie's countenance after a bit of searching, but they didn't seem to hold as well as for her mother. Instead of producing a tantalizing, soft expression, the younger girl's features made her appear subdued and easily unnoticed. A genuine smile would brighten her expression, but as of recently, Lily noticed, there had been very few.

"Is school going well girls?" Marietta was asking, looking between them with interest.

"Very," Grace nodded, patting her mouth with a cloth, mauve colored napkin. "Quidditch is off to an excellent start."

"Oh good, good," the lady said pleasantly, nodding. "How about you, sweetheart?"

"Good," Lily said, tapping her fingers together in thought. "Keeping very busy, really, with homework and such; O.W.L. year is quite hectic."

"Ah yes, I remember those days," Marietta said reminiscently. She gave an impish wink. "Still making time for the boys, I trust."

Grace grinned and launched into an immediate recollection of her one-year anniversary, receiving in exchange many 'ahs' and nostalgic sighs from the elder lady. "Oh they _can_ be wonderful at times, can't they?"

"Not always," Lily grumbled, though with a smirk. She began to share the predicament of finding herself to be a 'Scarlet Librarian' and the other awful events that had occurred that night (namely involving James Potter). When she was finished Marietta gave a knowing smile.

"My, Lily, _two_ boys after you at once! Though it's hardly a surprise, I expect you'll be batting off dozens of boys soon with those luring green eyes of yours and that _stunning_ head of hair."

"Two boys?" Lily questioned. "I only mentioned one."

"And I thought you received top marks," Marietta teased. "Honestly dear, you can't tell me you haven't noticed that 'Potter' boy holds a bit of a fancy for you."

Lily nearly choked on her French Onion soup. "No," she said hastily. "Oh please- no. Not while I'm eating. Sure he's asked me out a couple… dozen times, but--,"

"Has he?" Marietta said with an exuberant smile. Grace and Julie snickered softly as Lily turned a peculiar shade of green.

"No, you see," said Lily, eager to clear things up, "there was this instance with him asking and then me biting him… And then there was this whole situation with me dumping ice cream over his head; well to sum it up his persistence is merely a result of attempting vengeance for me not going with him the first time his arrogant self asked. We've always sort of competed, you know, top of the class ranking and all, and this is just another one of those bothersome things."

Grace and Julie glanced at one another quickly with a bit of a smile, and Marietta herself looked highly amused. "All right, Lily," she said placidly. "If you say so."

"I do," Lily said strongly, and promptly returned to her soup.

"Well," Marietta peered across the table as she began to butter a slice of bread. "I haven't heard a peep out of my daughter."

"Oh," Julie said sofly, busying herself with her cutlery. "Not much going on with me, no…"

A few chairs down Rebecca squealed and pointed to a tiny bug crawling on the outside of the window. Grace and Lily laughed at how amused she was, as the little girl began chatting incoherently with the creature. While the two girls were preoccupied with her antics, Julie's mum directed her attention to her eldest daughter.

"No boyfriend then," Marietta sighed, staring at her disapprovingly. "Not even a hint of one?" As Julie shook her head jerkily it was clear her mother had to refrain from rolling her eyes. "Just as I thought. Well I've set up a bit of something for you at the ball tomorrow--,"

"_Mum_," Julie whispered, horrified.

"Well I'd say it was about time, wouldn't you? Clearly you're in a need of assistance on the matter."

Julie bit her lip and pulled her glance away, glad when her sister distracted them all by tumbling out of her seat gracefully and attempting to climb the window. "I'll get her," Julie said quickly, and by the time she returned to the table they were all chatting amiably once more.

---

_The Cheerless Chronicles of a Chap's Cursed Christmas_

_Day 3- Aunt Elladora stopped by today. As lovely as always, though was forced to fend off with experienced kung-fu skills when said lovely lady mistook me for a house-elf and came barreling forward with a not-so-lovely machete. All into elf-decapitating rights, that old hippy._

_Day 562 (Or So It Seems) - Typhoid Mary came over for bit of tea and crumpets this afternoon. It was a nice break from all of our usual visitors… _

"Do you know where the Fizzing Whizbees are stashed, James?"

James looked up from Sirius's letter. "Wha- oh," he thought for a moment and then shrugged. "I'm not sure, exactly…"

"Hmm…" Peter tapped his chin in deep deliberation.

"Well," James said, setting Sirius's letter aside reluctantly and dragging his trunk forward; ducking down to search through it, he reappeared a few moments later with a bit of a crumbled cracker. He frowned and nibbled on the end of it, before proceeding to toss it forlornly onto the ground. "Well, looks like we're not going to fulfill the food portion of this celebration… sorry mate," he frowned at Remus apologetically, who was still looking appalled by James's act of consuming an unidentified cracker. "Sirius had that part all covered, you know."

Remus shook his head. "It's all right," he said quickly, hoping James would not attempt to discover any other random bits of food stashed around the dormitory. "Really," he continued, "I'm not very hungry anyway."

"I've got a few games stored over here!" Peter announced heroically, diving for a pile of boxes beneath his bed. He retuned with an eager smile and an arm-load of supplies. "Here," he set aside a small box for Remus, James and himself. "On the count of three we'll open them. One…"

Remus sighed inwardly, hoping it wasn't anything venomous or gooey.

"Two…"

He glanced at James to observe his expression to see if he was too getting ready to brace himself, but his friend wasn't even concentrating on the parcel before him.

"Three!"

"Are you all right?" Remus asked, as Peter opened his box exuberantly and James looked up, distracted.

"Phft," Peter said, blinking fast to try and see through the purple, sparkling web that had sprang out of the box resting upon his knees. "Did it work for you guys?" he asked excitedly.

"What?" James looked across the bed at the comical sight before him. "Oh," he looked apologetic. "Sorry, Pete, I didn't realize you were counting."

Peter peered at his friends between violently indigo colored strings, looking desolate as he realized neither Remus nor James had participated. "Oh, that's all right…"

James shook his head. "Here," he began with forced enthusiasm. "I'll go scramble up a few of the presents." Sliding off the mattress, he stood on Sirius's bed and jumped as high as his height would allow him to, finally retrieving a small bundle secured to the top of the bed post. "There you are, but--," he tossed the package from one hand to the other as he stood bouncing slightly before Peter and Remus. "You've got to find another part of it first. We'll give you hints."

Remus raised an interested brow. "Hmm," he said, and waited for him to continue speaking. After thirty seconds went by and James still hadn't said anything, he cleared his throat as a subtle reminder.

"Oh," James said suddenly. He chuckled weakly. "I'm supposed to give you them then, aren't I?"

Remus nodded slowly. "You are."

James's eyes searched the room for awhile, until finally landing back on Remus guiltily. "Er…" he said, scratching his head.

"One had to do with doorknobs," said Peter helpfully. "And I'm fairly certain there was a lagoon involved."

James frowned. "Well maybe we should just skip to the next part…"

"It's all right," began Remus.

"No!" James hurried to respond. "It's your birthday Remus; we're going to do this right--,"

"I'm not saying we shouldn't do it," Remus explained. "Just that… Maybe we should wait for everyone to be here."

James made to protest that it was Remus's birthday, and it should be celebrated properly, but the relief on his face was apparent.

"Really, I don't mind," Remus assured him. "I'm sure Sirius would appreciate it very much if we waited anyway."

Peter looked thoughtful. "He had to go because of that party thing, right? Maybe he could just come back after that's over."

"Nah," James shook his head, eyes darkening. "His parents are peeved about him giving them a hard time about the whole thing-- I doubt he'll be back before the last hour of the Holidays. They surely wouldn't make any extra effort to bring him back early."

"Hmm…" Remus mused, clicking his tongue in contemplation. "What if _we_ made the extra effort?"

James's eyes crinkled with confusion for a few moments, but immediately brightened. "I like the way you think, my friend." He smiled, the start of a scheme already brewing in his head. "One taste of danger and you're already living on the edge."

"No," Remus said hastily, "this isn't against any rules. The Black's rules maybe, but those never really mattered."

"Aye," James agreed. "They are a touchy lot, aren't they? We'll have to be particularly careful they don't catch us… I daresay his nutters mum has a wrath greater than even McGonagall's." He looked up. "By the way, Dumbledore ever confront you about leaving the grounds?"

"After the last prefect meeting," Remus told him with a frown. "He never mentioned me leaving, but was hinting at it strongly enough," with a shake of his head, he finished, "I'm immensely fortunate he favors second chances."

"That you are," James nodded. "Unfortunately, I'm already on my 31st. Never mind that, though… we have a lot of planning to do."

---

Sirius shuffled into the kitchen, his surroundings dark and chilly with the sort of air that only comes on the mornings of gloomy Mondays, and, occasionally, gloomy social gatherings as well. No matter how early it was, however, his dutiful brother was already half-way through his breakfast and seated in the usual silence between his parents.

At the far end of the table sat his mother, who was chomping hastily through her porridge so she could get back to ordering Kreacher around- even though guests were not due to arrive for another eight hours or so. On the opposite end of the large table was his father, who was searching the newspaper with a cool and almost peculiar expression. Sitting as far away from all three of them as possible, Sirius grabbed a piece of toast and concentrated on the parchment he had already written a half-letter to James upon. Just as he was about to update the _Cheerless Chronicles of a Chap's Cursed Christmas, Continued_, his father gave a grunt of interest and held the paper up for them all to see.

"At least you'll have an interesting topic of conversation for tonight's gathering, Agatha." He set the newspaper down. "Voldemort is starting to show himself again; from the looks of it he appears to be acting in the same fashion he did last December."

Mrs. Black looked pleased as she returned to her breakfast, and suddenly Sirius had no desire to finish his own meal. "Last December… But isn't that when he killed an old couple of muggle-borns in Wales? And that family, in Longhorn…" he asked, dreading the response.

"Among other things," she said flippantly. At Sirius's look of disgust, she continued, "His actions may be eccentric, but he should be commended by all with proper values for _finally_ doing something about the filth that has leaked its way into the system."

Mr. Black frowned. "Dietrich said they've just hired three new Mudbloods at the Ministry."

His wife nearly choked on her porridge. Regretfully, she regained a gasp of breadth. "The day they think about making one of them Minister," she said hoarsely, "is the day I exile myself from the Magical Community entirely!"

"And you'd be _so_ terribly missed," Sirius grumbled in a voice only audible to himself. Too ill by his family's morning drawl to continue eating anything at all, he dropped his plate in the sink and departed up the staircase to finish his letter to James in peace. His heart plunged as he thought of how much he'd rather be with his friends and celebrating Remus's birthday than with these hideous creatures called kin. If anything, however, this was merely a minute helping of the nightmare of a party that was to take place that very evening.

---

**A/N: **I know, I know, it's short... more soon though, I promise! Thanks so much for reading and as always for your wildly wonderful support!

Kat44- Ah yes, we always knew Remus had a romantic side so I thought it was time to show it ; ) James, egotistical… yes, yes… but it is inevitable, eh? Thanks for the review!

James' Girl Lily- I'm glad I could keep your interest and curiosity peaked, thanks so much for the input!

Jounin-Elite- Hey! I'm happy you're enjoying it, thanks for taking the time to catch up : ) (btw, what's your penname mean? I might've asked you once but I don't remember.)

Dance-flirt- Hi! Good to hear from you again : ) Thanks for the review and encouragement, I really appreciate it!

Gaby-Black- Nice to hear from you : ) Ah, sorry about depriving you of your sleeping time though! Thanks so much for the consistent enthusiasm and support, I really appreciate it! (also, I promise as soon as I update this thing I'll check out your story!)

GoKissBacon- Ah, don't die! Here's a quick update, just for your mortal well being. But seriously I _really_ treasured your review, it was very awesome to hear such great things. Thanks so much, and awesome penname!

Mad about Sirius!- Wow thanks so much, I really loved your review even though I'm sure I don't deserve to hear half those things you said. Thanks so much for making me feel great!

Panting Slightly- Hehe, it always brings a smile to my face when I find out I cheered up a reader, thanks for sharing your chuckles and 'snorts' ; ) And you actually got the 'Ooh Ooh' thing… yay! Thanks a million for the incredibly awesome review!

Waterfalls mist- I'm glad you think so : ) Thanks for the review!

Sowy (2 lazy 2 log in) - Hello! It's okay you haven't reviewed in awhile… who is this? Good luck on your own story, thanks bunches for the review!

SeverineFlower- Yay, I'm glad you like it! Thanks billions for the review : )

Sarah Warder- Woo, glad I made you smile : ) Ooh… that's a great state. Never been there, but it sounds lovely. I'll wave to you from Ohio!

Mrs. Bloom- Yuck, I hate when authors just stop writing after a cliff-hanger. Alright I can't answer all of your questions but here goes: 1) yes, 2) she was worried waiting by the hosp. wing and her revenge on the boys sufficed, 5) yes, 6) next chapter, 7) no, 8) lol no hooking up here, 9) no. Thanks so much for the long review, I appreciate it!

Juicilyn- Aw, I'm really glad you liked the Remus part so much. Thanks so much for the great review and enthusiasm! Oh, and yes I'm taking it to 7th year… actually I plan to do it until death do they part. Thanks again : )

Anusha- I know! I hope she doesn't have rabies!

xoGossipGirlox- I'm glad you tried out Lily and James fanfics, they're pretty fun. Hmm well we'll just have to wait and see about that whole romance talk, thanks so much for taking the time to read and review!

Rhiawoods- Wow, long review! Ah, about that whole Matsu thing- that was another team member, maybe you just confused the two. But anyway thanks so much for that wonderful input… ahh I know I can't believe it's so long either! Good luck on your story, I hope it goes well : )

Flametongue- Ah yes, it is very long isn't it? Sorry to deprive you of sleep ; ) Thanks for taking the time to read/review it though, I really appreciate it. Hope this update was quick enough!

Pialicious- Hehe I'm glad you're entertained by James making Lily uncomfortable ; ) Thanks so much for the review, it's much appreciated!

Highlandhottie- Aw I hate when people just discontinue their stories. Sometimes it's unavoidable though / But no worries! I have no intentions of doing that whatsoever. Thanks very much for the review!

Drlover- My oh my… you weren't too off in your guesses for the 6th book, were you? Good job at that! I'm really glad you liked my fic, I hope you enjoy this chapter too!

Deathgirl997- I'm really glad you're enjoying the story, thanks for your input and the wonderful review : )

ZebraStripedFlamingo- Aw, thanks so much! Your review definitely made me smile. Ooh you like Val and Angie eh? Sure I'll try and put in more of them : ) Thanks for the fantastic input, it's very appreciated!

I-Lurve-Harry- Updated as quickly as I could, hope you enjoyed it!

Emerald flamee- Thanks! I'm glad you liked it, thanks for taking the time to review!

Mystikalolo- Hehe I'm glad James has the perfect amount of 'Jamesness' ; ) Thanks so much for the awesome review, I really appreciate it!

The Big Dance- Yes, Remus is ultimately sweet ; ) Well from the start beta and I have planned to do it in one big story, up until their deaths (sad I know) even if it will be beyond gigantic. Anyway, thanks very much for the review!

MysticMadness- Aw, I'm glad it's one of your favorites! Thanks so much for the review, it's much appreciated!

Hazel Maraa- Hope you had fun running, glad you liked my story : )

Abby- Lol yes, go Remus : D Thanks a lot for the review, I'm glad you liked it!

Sallymander- I'm glad it didn't seem so long when you were reading it… I really just wanted to get to the holidays. Thanks so much for the review, I'm really glad you liked the whole thing with Remus and Grace : )

Rebel Rose- Hehe I was definitely excited about the 6th book too. How'd you like it? Well anyway, thanks for the awesome review!

DisastaMasta/Forget-Me-Not- Ahh what'd you think of the book! I can't wait to explode with how I felt about it; I'm guessing if you thought the fifth book was a disappointment you aren't going to think so highly of this one. Ooh that's awesome about your school jersey saying your name, my tennis sweatshirt says 'S. Black' on the back of it! Hehe I know I'm a dork… but my best friends' say 'R. Lupin' and 'J. Potter' on them, so I just couldn't leave out the best part of the infinite trio ; )

Tennislvr1904- Hmm well I enjoy watching tennis on TV sometimes, but I mostly like to play. How about you?

Avovisto- Ahh yes, I remember the days of copying chapters into word documents… I know my beta has hundreds of pages saved on hers ; ) Ooh go ahead and IM me, I'm always willing to chat! And of course I don't mind reviews, silly! Also, congrats on being the big two thousand!

Lilypad7879- Wow, I'm really glad I could make your day! You made mine by telling me that : ) Thanks so much for the enthusiastic review, I'm pleased you're enjoying it!

Sweet Sarcasm- Lol I really have no clue about werewolves and silver… I read on a website about its effects but I'm sure there are different stories everywhere. Thanks a lot for the info on the Great Break, I may just check it out : )

Courtney83- Oh man I know watcha mean… The world definitely needs more Remuses. I'm really glad you enjoyed the chapter, thanks so much for the review!

Secret Lily- Ah yes, it goes to seventh year and beyond. I'm glad you like it and that you think Kirk is a jerk—I completely just realized those two words rhymed. Coincidence? I think not… Thanks much for the review!

IamSiriusgrl- Aw… I'm really sorry sweetie. My good friend moved last year and it was really sad, but we still manage to keep in touch. I'm sure you'll make tons of new pals that love Harry Potter too : ) Thanks bunches for the review!

DeppGirl14- Mmm Heath Ledger… can't beat that! Ooh I figured out Harry's age too! Hehe. Aw that sucks that you can't get the book until it comes in at the library, I was going to say something about it but I don't want to ruin anything! Thanks for the lengthy review, always appreciated!

Dragon Rider 22- I'm happy you enjoyed it, thanks very much for the review!

M-girls- Yeah I understand what you mean… sometimes I can't remember what I'm reading either ; )

Ieyre- Hehe… Don't worry, Kirk's a goner. I'm glad you liked my 'sweet git', James, thanks soo much for the review!

May Olivia- Ooh speechless… Hmm I hope that's a good thing! Thanks so much for the review, yours are always so fantastic : )

Windowseat Wonderer- Hehe I'm glad you understood the countdown and that you think Lily's in character, those are both glorious things : ) Thanks soo much for the review, it was really awesome!

Zippyfox- Yay, I'm glad you enjoyed the Remus/Grace bit! Hehe it's okay, I've overdosed on coffee once or twice too ; ) Thanks very much for the review, always appreciated!

**W**ell the sixth book is out and already read by millions… don't worry, I'm not going to spoil anything if you haven't had a chance to read it yet. Never hesitate to IM or e-mail me if you'd like to discuss it- who knows, if we get enough people maybe beta and I could host a chat! Either way, let me know what you think in your reviews, I can't wait to see your reactions ; )


	57. The Merry Bloody Holidays, Part Two

Standing There By You

Chapter 57- The Merry Bloody Holidays, Part Two

A/N: **W**ow.. this is an extremely long chapter. Sorry... I had a lot of things to say ; ) I hope you enjoy it!

---

Julie released a small breath of frustration as she narrowed her eyes at her sister, both looking stubborn and determined. "Rebecca Catherine Taylor," she said firmly, holding up a very small pair of ivory stockings. "If you don't put these on this very instant--,"

The little girl gave a fresh peal of laughter and wriggled out of her sister's grasp, snatching the stockings and putting them 'round her arms instead. Julie's stern countenance faltered and a reluctant smile evolved. "_Rebecca_…"

Grace smiled a few feet away, rising from the stairwell she and Lily had been watching upon in amusement. "Hey Julie, do you mind if we explore the place a bit?"

"Go ahead," Julie said distractedly, attempting to recapture her sister. "I'll catch up with you in a little while."

"Sounds good," Grace said, and the two girls moved quickly up the staircase.

"I wonder if they have a library…" said Lily, and Grace groaned, skipping a few steps to leap in front of her. Lily looked up at her confusedly and climbed quickly to catch up. "What did I say?"

---

"Brilliant balcony," Grace said, blue eyes bright as she examined the landing they finally approached. The wide space overlooked a large portion of the house, with only an eloquent wood railing and what appeared to be a dozen meter drop to divide it. "Excellent for practicing quidditch dives."

Lily rolled her eyes, kneeling down to run her fingers over the carvings throughout the rich cherry wood. "It really is amazing," she admired wistfully.

"Tell me about it," Grace leaned against one of the posts, gazing around at her surroundings. "I cannot _believe_ Julie's never mentioned her family being this well-heeled."

"I'd hardly call it that," Julie's voice drifted in behind them. They craned their necks toward her and she appeared at the top of the stairs, smiling slightly. "Especially since I've only ever heard my grandmother use that phrase."

"Plush, swimming, rolling in the clover… However you want to say it, your family's buried in the galleons, Julie." Grace pursed her lips playfully. "And _I_ would've expected a few better Christmas presents from you."

"Really, it's not like that--,"

"Of course it's like that!" She draped her arms across the banister dramatically. "This is a whole new Julie we've never _seen_ before-- this is… _Juliana_: Dame of affluence and ruler of all that is Cadbury-,"

"My mother is wealthy," Julie interrupted markedly, "but my sister and I live with my dad. This is rare, trust me; she hardly has time for us to visit, and we would never--,"

"You're too modest," Grace said, interested now in a painting that changed gradually to reflect each season.

"Pity you don't see your mum much," Lily added her input, still staring at the fine shapes chiseled along the fixture. "She's delightful."

Julie opened her mouth to respond and then closed it, watching Lily carefully. "Yeah," she said finally, realizing she could hardly explain the faults of her own mother when Lily was still suffering the loss of her own. "Well," she began, switching tactics and turning to address them both. "My mum wants to know if you two brought dresses that would be all right for tonight-- I guess there's going to be a mixture of muggles and wizards attending."

Grace nodded, but Lily frowned. "I only brought dress robes."

"It's all right," Julie waved her hand at the both of them and gestured toward the stairs. "Mum said she had a few stored in her room in case you didn't."

"What are we waiting for?" Grace bounced forward. "We've only got twenty-five hours until the ball!"

"Oh boy," Lily smiled at Julie, and together they headed after their much too exuberant friend.

---

_Three young Soldiers of Justice arise early on this Christmas Eve of One-Nine-Seventy-Four, braving the harsh adjustment of abandoning their cotton sheet havens before the stroke of ten ante meridiem, and risking the heinous crime of skipping the most important meal of the day. Anything for their fellow soldier, who currently sits as a captive P.O.W. in the miserable dwellings of 12 Grimmauld Place, London. _

"_James," Soldier of Justice number two addresses the leader, "You're acting loony. What are you doing?"_

James looked up from his parchment, tapping a quill to his chin. "I told you, Remus, I'm documenting our rescue mission for Sirius-- he'll enjoy it, you know, and besides… I need something else to give him for Christmas."

"You're the leader?" Peter asked, pointing to the last line of the sketchy account.

"Of course," said James, returning to his parchment.

Remus raised a brow dubiously. "I notice you didn't include the part where the _leader _had to be woken up six times by _soldier number two_, until he finally rolled off the bed and couldn't find his way out of the tangle of sheets."

"Ah, the rewards of being an author."

Remus rolled his eyes and stood up to fetch the plans they had formulated that morning. "We're going to fly up to his bedroom window, then? What if he stays on the first floor the whole evening?"

James finished jotting down a few key words on his parchment before responding to Remus. "Then we'll just have to stay outside his bedroom window the whole evening, eh?"

Peter looked forlorn. "Perhaps we should bring a bit of food for dinner."

James clapped his friend on the back. "That is exactly the kind of comment that makes you Soldier of Justice number three, Pete."

---

Bright and early, as Grace's tenacious good morning had demanded, the three girls set off to the dining room for a very quick and anxious breakfast.

"Morning girls," bid Julie's mother, not pausing to chat as she sped past the table. "Warren," she said sharply, waving to a man balancing a dozen silver trays with one hand and clutching three overflowing bags with the other, "the decorations in the hall, have you exchanged the crimson tablecloths for ruby? That combination preceding it clashed _dreadfully_."

"I'm on it, Miss," he nodded a feeble head at Marietta as he continued to trot unsteadily in the same direction.

"Mum always goes in a bit of a state before a party," said Julie, occupied more so with her French toast than the hectic happenings around her.

Grace gazed at Marietta with wide eyes as the woman strode this way and that, giving orders and going over meticulous details aloud. "I can tell…"

Lily took in the sight before her as well, but gave a small shrug as she followed the frenetic lady with her eyes. "Well you can't blame her," she reached for a strawberry and popped it into her mouth. "She's got a huge amount to deal with."

"That's right," chimed Marietta, slightly breathless as she made a brief point to pat Lily on the shoulder. "But Lily dear, stop by my room for a moment after you're finished with breakfast-- Julie mentioned you're in need of a dress and I do believe I have just the thing for you."

A smile tweaked the corner of Lily's lips. "All right," she said, and Marietta swiveled around to return to her feverish preparations.

"When is everyone supposed to arrive?" asked Grace, pouring syrup generously onto her stack of pancakes.

Julie shrugged. "Not until later this evening. There's not so much a problem of guests showing up too early; mostly you have to be worried about the few that like to linger around until dawn."

"Well I'm off, then," said Lily, cramming the last bite of bacon into her mouth. "See you in a bit."

"Geez, Lily," Grace admonished, "You downed your entire meal in less than five minutes."

Lily wiped her mouth with a napkin and set it back down, scooting out of her chair. "I was hungry," she told them, standing up. "Well, I'll meet up with you guys a little later; I don't want to keep your mum waiting, Julie."

"Right," Julie replied from above a heaping pile of eggs. "See you then."

After following a grandeur staircase for two flights, Lily weaved her way through several long hallways and finally found herself standing before the ornate door Julie had pointed out earlier leading to Marietta's room. She lifted her hand to knock on the door, but before she could a familiar charismatic voice called to her from down the hall.

"Go in, dear!" Marietta insisted. "I'll be there in just a moment!"

With a nod Lily turned the knob and pushed open the door; she was welcomed by a magnificent room that greeted her warmly with rich burgundies and striking white accents-- taken aback by the enormity and elegance of the area, she entered the room in awe as her gaze flicked this way and that. Finally she perched on the end of a bed that stood out against the carpet stunningly, careful not to wrinkle or crease any part of the silk laden mattress as she did so.

"All right then," Marietta greeted hastily, smiling broadly as she stepped through the doorway. In a few swift strides she made her way to a door on the other side of the room, which led to what Lily assumed to be an immense walk-in closet. "Here we go," she said, reappearing with a satin gold dress in tow. Holding it up to Lily, she gave a delighted gasp. "Oh, just as I thought- it looks _striking_ against those auburn locks of yours. What do you think?"

Lily's eyes sparkled as she looked back up at Marietta. Julie had been wonderful this past year-- immediately taking her into accommodations that had been just what she needed, and Mr. Taylor not hesitating at all to welcome her warmly. But as she stood with this remarkable lady, Lily felt a sudden sensation soar through her that arose so passionately it served to momentarily fill the hole that had come with the loss of her own mother. "It's gorgeous," Lily whispered, and Marietta smiled.

"I know I have a necklace somewhere that would go beautifully…" She searched through a cherry-colored jewelry box, "Ah, here we go!" Pulling out a string of delicate pearls, she wrapped the band around Lily's neck and pushed aside her hair to fasten the ends. "Stunning," she marveled.

"Honestly, Lily!" a voice declared from the doorway. Lily's head whipped upwards to view her two friends watching her from the hall. Grace grinned and stepped forward. "You look like a movie star!"

"Yeah," Julie smiled broadly. "Really pretty."

"Isn't she though?" Marietta gave Lily a grin before turning to face her daughter. "Did you find that sage ensemble I left out for you?" Julie nodded, and she took the dress back from Lily, holding it up. "I originally had this gold dress ordered for you, but the shade would just wash out your complexion terribly, no?" She began to return the outfit to its hanger. "Well let me know if either of you need any alterations, I have to get back downstairs… Half the staff has no idea what they're doing, honestly. Have fun tonight, ladies!"

"We will," they promised, and set off to begin getting ready.

* * *

Sirius exhaled deeply. Finally, he had found a spot where no elf-decapitating aunt or muggle hunting cousin could bother him; a nook beside a half-opened closet door was hardly visible to anyone that wasn't thoroughly searching. He settled in as comfortably as he could, balancing a plate of numerous crackers and other bits of food. Picking up a small portion, he inspected it for a few moments before popping it into his mouth. 

"I wouldn't eat that if I were you."

Sirius looked up from his admittedly pasty hors d'oeuvre to find his cousin smiling brightly down at him. "Andromeda!" he exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm, standing up to hug her with the hand that wasn't holding his uneaten cracker. "Thank Merlin, I was going to claw my eyes out if another sane person didn't show up soon."

"Yes well, you'd better appreciate it," she smiled teasingly, taking a seat beside him. "I thought I'd show up for a few minutes to see how you're managing."

"You aren't going to stay?" Sirius asked, offering her a tiny lamb and mint taster. He was surprised-- his cousin was certainly of age, but even still her parents would hardly let her hear the end of it if she skived off one of these parties.

Andromeda shook her head, dark hair brushing slumped shoulders as she did so. "I can't, Sirius," she laughed weakly. "Adults are a… _tad_ peeved at me."

"Welcome to the club," said Sirius, grinning. "What did you do, save a drowning muggle or something?"

"Much worse," she whispered, smiling meekly as her eyes shone bright. "I got engaged to one."

Sirius nearly choked on his cracker. "_Engaged_?" he admonished, half laughing. "What are you, nutters?"

Andromeda frowned, her usual upbeat countenance now terribly despondent. "Not you too, Sirius," she pleaded. "I know you're only 15, but I thought of all people--,"

"Oh, no," he started abruptly, "I'm not questioning his background-- you know I don't care if he's muggle-born. I was just surprised you've decided to throw on the old ball and chain while still in the prime of your life, is all. I've always thought of marriage as a sort of last resort- you know, when you recognize you're on the verge of getting wrinkly and vulgar looking so you snatch someone before it's too late."

Andromeda laughed. "That's one way of looking at it," she said lightly. Her expression turned to a slightly more serious one. "He really is the one though, I'm sure of it. But the family's been beyond horrid, as I'm sure you can imagine. I know I shouldn't care about them and their mad opinions, but…"

"Yeah," Sirius agreed darkly, well acquainted with their family's judgmental beliefs and the aggravation that came with them.

"I've yet to tell them we're anything more than close friends; poor Ted was missing a nose and half his hair by the time he escaped from the house."

Sirius lowered his voice, leaning in toward his cousin. "Would you rather marry someone like these wretched creatures? I'd say someone with half his hair is better than someone with half his brains, like these loons."

"Isn't that the truth?" Andromeda agreed whole-heartedly. She smiled at Sirius as she began to stand up. "Thanks," she said, snatching one of his crackers with one of her usual smirks reappearing. Bending forward, she whispered, "Good luck with this lot, Sirius; try not to go mad before the new term starts."

"I'll try," he said, and winked. "I'll be waiting for an invitation."

Andromeda smiled in response and waved, spinning around to depart before any barmy old witches could stop and scold her. As he watched her leave, Sirius felt a fresh feeling of gloominess settle over him; though he had certainly appreciated the temporary diversion. Just as he decided to brave a trip into the life of the party (a group of witches discussing the best way to behead a fidgeting house-elf) to refill his plate, a pair of wizards sauntered toward him, blocking his way.

"Certainly great," said one man, lifting a glass of rich red liquid to his lips. "But I cannot help questioning how much of an impact he'll have-- wizards have tried before, you know."

Sirius scowled at the unpleasant obstruction, and began contemplating the best way to get around them.

"This isn't just any man," the other wizard said resolutely. "There have been many more attacks than the papers have revealed. You know the Ministry, always covering up as much as they can."

"How do you know about it, then?" the first wizard inquired doubtfully.

Sirius darted to the right of the door quietly, attempting to distract them with the creaking closet door so he could sneak quickly past. Unfortunately neither was tricked and both swerved around swiftly, forcing Sirius to retreat back to his niche of safety and plan otherwise.

The second man shrugged slightly before turning back to his friend. "An acquaintance has… close ties with Voldemort," he said with assurance. "A dozen witches and wizards killed last spring-- happened to work as a volunteer muggle relations organization in connection with the Ministry. And right around this time last year, do you recall the underground train incident? Nearly a hundred muggles murdered…"

Sirius considered the men's heights, finally deciding they were definitely tall enough and he could therefore achieve crawling past them with ease.

"But how can you be sure that wasn't just an accident," the man's friend brushed aside the suggestion. "There's no evidence it was otherwise, is there?"

Only managing to crawl less than half a meter before a rather large woman stepped on his fingers, Sirius forlornly withdrew from his mission and sat to contemplate another approach to his stomach-rumbling predicament.

"No direct evidence," the man said, his voice dropping to emphasize its importance. "But take a look at a few of the people aboard the night it crashed: Leon Hirsch, co-founder of the monetary corporation that has bases in both wizarding and muggle premises; a group of teenagers associated with muggle protest groups; even a few parents of muggle-born children; the Beldon twins' caretakers were unable to be deciphered from the rest of the bits of bodies, and the Evans', a curious pair that beheld a rather particular daughter…"

Sirius had been preparing to dart forward as fast as he could to rid of the men, but the man's last words had caught him off-guard and sent him stumbling into the open door.

"What are you doing back there?" one of the men demanded, poking his head around the door to inspect their intruder.

"I was just- just eating…" Sirius trailed off, feeling too sick to think about food at the moment. "Before, when you were talking about that train crash, you mentioned the Evans- you didn't mean--,"

"Don't listen in on conversations that aren't meant for you to be listening in on in the first place," replied the man snidely. With that said they turned around to depart to the other side of the room, adding in their advice to the ladies discussing the house-elf quandary.

Sirius set aside his plate unconsciously, watching the two men from a distance. There were plenty of Evans's in Britain, and with that bit of information he comforted himself. Somehow, however, he couldn't set aside the horrible internal feeling he had that told him Lily was indeed that 'particular daughter'. With a bit of a shiver he headed across the room unnoticed, starting up the staircase to drown out any more views of these exceptionally revolting people.

---

"Coming Lily?"

The red-head gave a grunt in response as she attempted to strap her shoes. "Almost... I just-- _urgh_."

"Amazing," Grace shook her head. "She can turn a knut into an exotic fish in an instant, but she trips all over herself trying to secure on her own heels."

"Ha ha," Lily said, finally standing upright. She took several long strides to exit the room. "Come on, let's go-- we're already ten minutes late."

Grace and Julie hurried to catch up with her, and they followed at a fast pace as she lead them around the many twists and turns. "Just because _we _know how to buckle our shoes…" Grace trailed off as they entered the vast hall designated for the ball. "Wow," she said incredulity.

Julie took the lead and they trailed her, walking slowly to take in all of the grand decorations that dotted the room with elegance. Although they were only a few minutes late the room was already bursting with eloquently dressed guests, many taking to the dance floor and swaying back and forth with their partners.

"This is brilliant!" Grace managed, barely able to suppress a wide grin. "You're such a liar, this isn't drab or boring, it's… brilliant!"

"I'm glad you think so," a voice answered behind them. Marietta grinned at Julie's marveling companions. "Yes, I suppose the finished product is quite lovely."

"Lovely doesn't cover it," prattled Lily. "Heck, nothing could cover it… It really is perfect."

"Why thank you," Marietta responded with an elegant smile. "Julie," she turned to her daughter, "could I have a quick word with you?"

Julie nodded and her friends waved quickly, hurrying to delve into the gorgeous setting.

"Julie," Marietta said, grasping her daughter's forearm and tugging her suddenly in a new direction. "I want you to meet somebody."

"Oh no," Julie said softly, but failed to voice her opinion before her mother was pointing out a tall, handsome boy standing about a dozen feet away.

"There," she said, pushing her forward a bit. "That's the boy I told you I was going to set up a meeting with; he is divine, isn't he?" Before Julie could say anything Marietta grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to face her. "You could do with a bit more color on your lips, and- oh," with a swipe of her fingers she pressed back a few baby hairs that had escaped from Julie's bun. "Good enough, I suppose." She inhaled deeply and straightened out her dress, strengthening her hold on her daughter's arm. "Brennan!" she called charmingly, stepping forward before Julie could protest.

Brennan spun around, revealing a wide, flawless smile and the blazing blue eyes her mother had promised. "Ah Marietta, splendid to see you again." He stepped forward to greet them, clutching her hand amiably. Turning away from her, he grasped Julie's hand and nodded his head. "I expect this is the lovely daughter you've been speaking of?"

"Yes, yes," Marietta ushered Julie forward.

"H-Hi," Julie mustered, after a sharp prompting pinch from her mother. Inspecting the boy at the lesser distance, she recognized him as a Hufflepuff sixth year she had seen roaming the Hogwarts halls on quite a few occasions. Mouth dry with embarrassment, she continued to fill the silence, "I've seen you around school, I think."

"Have you?" he asked, and shrugged.

"Well, I'll just let you two get to know one another," Marietta decided aloud, turning lavishly around. "Guests to attend to, you know."

Brennan took a sip of a red, misting beverage he held dangling from his forefinger and thumb, and smacked his lips together loudly. "Well," he spoke finally, gesturing to the sea of twirling and swooning couples. "I suppose we should dance, then."

"Oh," Julie replied, surprised. "Oh- I, erm, if you... sure! I--"

"Brennan," a voice ascertained from several feet away. A girl with startling, midnight black eyes walked forward with a sly grin spreading across her face. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Ah, de Roux," he smiled, lips spreading farther as she wrapped a slender arm around him in greeting. "You're just ravishing tonight, aren't you?" As the girl unraveled her arm from around his shoulders, he waved a hand to Julie. "Have you met?" he asked.

Julie shook her head, and the girl touched a hand lightly to her shoulder. "My name is Isabelle, splendid to meet you. You don't mind if I steal a dance with this bloke, do you?"

Julie opened her mouth to respond, but it was clearly unnecessary as the two had already started across the room to the dance floor. Looking over his shoulder, Brennan winked. "I'll be back soon," he promised, and proceeded forward.

"Oh- okay!" said Julie, but her voice was drowned out by a sudden burst of loud music and the chattering of many couples. Frowning a bit, she turned away from them and went to obtain a beverage of her own.

---

"Where _is_ he?" groaned Peter, leaning forward on his broomstick.

Remus checked his watch. "It is getting rather late James," he frowned into the darkness, peering at the dusty window they hovered before. "Maybe he's enjoying the party?"

James shook his head. "Trust me," he said adamantly. "I'm sure his parents are just keeping him captive downstairs or something."

Poking his head into a large brown bag, Peter rustled around and moaned gloomily, reappearing empty-handed. "You don't think they have any extra appetizers down there, do you?"

"Wait, what is that?" James said sharply, leaning in toward the window. "I just heard a door; I'll bet that's him! C'mon--," With an abrupt lunge forward James grabbed onto the windowsill, hurrying to tug at it as he attempted to peer inside. "Help me out here," he said, beckoning to his friends. "I can't…"

"This place is horrible," a voice sounded from inside the room. James did a double-take. Instead of the familiar tone of his friend's voice he was expecting, this one sounded particularly… feminine. "Honestly, does this house-elf even dust?"

"I doubt it," came a much deeper voice, and with a start James recognized the older boy. "House-elves are getting harder to control with every passing day."

"Retreat!" James hissed, nearly falling backwards on his broomstick. "_Retreat_!"

The boys scrambled to acquire the cover of a tall pine tree standing several feet away, barely able to hide behind its many leaves before a hand reached out the window and seized the bottom of it. "What idiot has their window open in the middle of the winter?" The outline of Lucius Malfoy appeared before them, and soon the source of the female's voice did as well.

"I don't know," Narcissa said boredly. "Probably that blasted house-elf. Close it Lucius, I'm freezing."

With a slam the window was secured tightly once more. "Urgh," said Remus, exhaling deeply.

James scratched his head. "We _may_ have gotten the wrong room."

"Why were Lucius and Narcissa in that dark old room by themselves, anyway?" asked Peter, following James as he soared upwards to inspect the other bedroom windows.

Remus ascended after them, mumbling, "I'm not so sure you want to go there, Pete."

---

"Grace!" Lily weaved her way through dozens of chatting witches and wizards, eyes bright as she made her way toward her sociable friend. The girl had only been alone five minutes and was already partaking in a lively conversation with several people who looked around their age.

"Oh, hi Lily," Grace returned merrily, squeezing her way through a pair of dancing guests. "Having a good time, eh?" she grinned and winked, referring to the dance Lily had shared with a fine looking boy only moments before.

"Not bad," she admitted, smiling. "Have you seen Julie recently?"

"No," Grace shook her head.

"Hmm…" Lily nodded toward a cluster of people and started toward them. "Maybe she's over there."

The two girls made their way slowly through the dense crowd, finally reaching the end of it but never spotting Julie. "Where do you think she is?" asked Lily, but before Grace could answer she discovered her friend sitting on the large nearby staircase. "Over there!"

"Julie!" they greeted breathlessly, hurrying toward their friend.

Julie looked up from the step she was perched upon. "Oh, hello," she said, lowering her goblet and smiling softly up at them. "Having a good time?"

"Very," Grace responded heartily. "Not as much as you though…" she winked. "Saw you chatting with a particularly handsome chap earlier."

Julie laughed weakly. "Right..."

"I think that's great!" said Lily. "I've actually found it to be rather enjoyable sharing a quick dance with a boy or two."

"Remus is a wonderful boy, Remus is a wonderful boy," Grace reminded herself with effort, attempting to disregard the abundance of attractive boys around her.

"Yeah, I suppose it is enjoyable," Julie said with a slight nod. In truth as soon as Brennan was through dancing with one girl there was always another to immediately replace her, and lacking the nerve to approach him she had remained on the stairs for nearly the entire time.

"I can't believe you called _this _tedious," Grace chided, leaning against a pillar.

Julie laughed faintly, distracted as she viewed a familiar figure making her way toward her. "I-- I'm going to the restroom," she said hastily. Before her friends could respond she was darting across the hall, only resting when she had safely reached the other side. With a final glance around the ballroom, she slipped up the grand staircase and made her way upstairs before anyone could take notice.

"Hello girls," said Marietta, vivid eyes searching the ballroom. "Have either of you seen my daughter?"

"She just left," Lily told her. "She'll be right back, though."

"Hmm, all right." Marietta glanced around her once more. "Well, do let me know when she returns; I want to have a little chat with her… See how things are going."

"All right," the girls nodded, and with a flip of her black shawl Marietta disappeared into the crowd once more.

---

Sirius paced his room, trying to sort out everything that was buzzing incessantly in his mind. This Voldemort- this man, this _thing_ was not just some fleeting rogue, he was the _real thing_. He had heard his parents conversing over tea for years now about wizards that were wretched but merely transitory; on the contrary this man certainly had wits about him if all the old wizard had said before was true. As opposed to venting his anger, pacing seemed to be making it build up and multiply, especially when he thought of the lazy way his parents and their friends had been speaking of the matter. He kicked his bedpost with the tip of his shoe, imagining it to be one of their ugly, indifferent faces. He winced in pain as the indifferent face gave him a throbbing, stubbed toe.

"Sirius!"

The boy's head whipped up, and his mouth dropped open in unavoidable surprise as he found three quarters of the Marauders hovering by the window. "What…?"

Peter puffed up his chest. "We're here to save you!" he said valiantly.

James propped the window up with his broomstick and slipped through. "Hello. Ready then?"

Beside him Remus shook his head. "You didn't even _ask_ if he wanted to be rescued; maybe he's having a good time, or doesn't think it would be best to leave--,"

"Let me fetch my broomstick," Sirius interrupted, darting to the other side of his bedroom. Tossing all of his items untidily into his trunk, he looked at James. "Do you think we could all grab an end of this?"

"Sure," James said, as Peter poked his head into the room.

"Do you have any--,"

"The food's disgusting here, Pete." Sirius shook his head. "You'd be better off just waiting."

"Well come on then," Remus instructed, taking James's broomstick out from under the window and holding it up with an outstretched hand. He waited until James crept out and settled on his broomstick before reaching out to help Sirius slip out his trunk.

"Are you sure you can carry this?" Sirius asked, shoving the trunk forward with all of his might.

"We can flag the Knight Bus down just a few blocks over," James told him. "It's not a long walk."

With one last push the trunk was out the window, all of the boys hastily grabbing a part of it. Sirius followed quickly after, clutching the sinking end and ascending to the level his friends were at. "Let's go then," said James, and lead the way as the boys awkwardly and very slowly followed.

Finally reaching the road they set the trunk down roughly, and James pulled out his wand to flag down the bus. Sirius kneeled onto the curb. "Thanks," he said, feeling more comfortable sitting in an inch of snow than he ever had in Grimmauld Place.

"No problem, mate." James waved his wand swiftly above him. With a smirk he looked down at Sirius. "We just came because I couldn't remember where you stashed the food."

"Right," he responded, nodding. "It's in the drawer I keep my boxers."

Remus rolled his eyes. "This birthday just keeps getting better and better."

---

"Julie?"

Julie looked up at the whispered beckon; Lily's outline was visible against the dim moonlight. "I'm here," she said, sitting up on her bed.

A light flicked on and Grace appeared as well. "Have you been up here all this time? We've been searching for you for ages!"

"Sorry," Julie pulled the covers back over her. "I just came up here a little while ago… It's been a long day, you know."

"Oh," Lily said, gazing at her. "Well all right, then. I suppose we should get into our pajamas too." The girls waved their goodnight as Lily shut off the light, sending her friend a smile and disappearing back into the hall.

Julie rolled over onto her side. In truth, she had departed from the ball so quickly that in her haste and disorientation she had flown right to her bed without even changing into her pajamas. It wasn't as if the night had been all that terrible-- she could've certainly enjoyed herself if she had only remained with Lily and Grace. But speaking with her mum was a different story; Brennan ignoring her was not exactly a boost to the self-esteem, but Marietta inquiring about it would've made her feel so low she wasn't sure she could stand it.

With one quick, decisive motion Julie sat up and swung her legs over the mattress, hopped off her bed and headed toward a set of drawers. Pulling out an old tank top and a warm pair of flannel pants, she dressed quickly before heading to the bathroom to wash up.

"Julie, hey," an unexpected voice caught her off-guard.

"Oh," Julie caught her breath, a bit shaken. "Hi Brennan."

Expecting him to nod and continue walking in the same direction he had been, Julie was surprised when he remained standing where he was, blocking her way to the other end of the hall. "I'm glad I caught you," said Brennan, leaning against her doorframe. "I wanted to apologize for not spending more time with you tonight."

"Oh," Julie laughed nervously, unsettled by how near he was standing. "It's all right, really. I have to go wash up though, so…"

Brennan shifted closer and Julie's stomach lurched unpleasantly; she could smell a great amount of the misting beverage he had been drinking before.

"Well- well okay, I really have to…" Julie trailed off and gulped hard, frightened now by his much-too-close proximity and her sudden inability to move.

"Don't be foolish," Brennan said quietly. "I've got to make it up to you."

Before Julie knew it, his lips were pressing uncomfortably hard onto her own and her heart pounded against her ribcage as his hand grasped her shoulder with an amount of strength incomparable to her own petite self.

He drew back for a moment, but Julie hardly had a chance to catch her breath before he was pulling her toward him once more. "What are you doing?" Julie managed to gasp, but Brennan gave her no heed. She felt tears burn her eyes as she attempted to free herself from his resolute hold.

"Oh!" A surprised voice called behind them.

Brennan immediately withdrew his strong grip, smoothly stepping back. "Miss Aubine," he said, looking flushed. "Sorry, I--,"

"Oh no, no it's fine!" Marietta flashed them a grin. "Don't let me bother you two!"

"That's all right," Brennan took a few steps backwards and nodded at each of them. "I'm sure my parents will be waiting… Goodnight."

A few moments after Brennan disappeared down the hall, Marietta turned to Julie. "Well, well," she said with delight. "Looks like I picked a good one out after all."

It took a couple of seconds for Julie to find her voice. "Mum," she started shakily, "I-I didn't _want_ to kiss him."

"What do you mean dear? He's handsome enough."

"He ignored me the whole night," Julie explained, slightly frantic. "And then he forced me... I didn't even-- it was really rough, mum. I don't know when he was going to stop."

"Don't be ridiculous," Marietta snapped, a harsh tone replacing her previously sweet one. "He's a respectable boy, you should be happy he even _wanted_ to kiss you."

With a jerk of her head Marietta swiftly passed her daughter and re-commenced walking down the hall, her stinging words echoing in Julie's mind as fresh tears rose to her eyes.

"Oh--," Julie felt someone bump into her side. Quickly blinking to rid of any evidence of tears before she turned around, she was met with a smiling Lily and hurried to smile back. "Sorry," Lily said, stepping back. "I thought I heard someone talking out here but I wasn't sure."

Julie cleared her throat. "Oh, yeah," she attempted to look indifferent. "I was just talking with my mum."

"Were you?" Lily craned her neck to peer down the hall. "Darn, I would've liked to catch up with her. I wanted to thank her again for tonight… she really was wonderful letting us come, wasn't she?"

Julie's mind was hazy as she made to respond. "Yeah, she was."

"Well I'll let you get back to bed…" Lily smiled at her one last time before continuing down the hallway, leaving Julie alone once again. Slinking back into her bedroom and leaning against the door, she fought to pull herself together and suppress any harsh feelings her mother had brought about. This year was going to be different, she decided. O.W.L.s were coming up and career planning as well, which left many opportunities for her to strike her mother as a daughter she thought sufficient enough to pass as her own.

---

A/N: Phew, it's over! Well the chapter is, anyway... The story still has a _long_ way to go. Ooh so several of you mentioned you'd be interested in joining a chat with me and beta concerning the sixth book, so if you still are leave your aim (sorry that's the only messenger we have).

Also I don't know if you noticed, but I upped the rating to T (which is basically pg-13) mostly because I'm paranoid and unsure which content is 'unsuitable for young children'.

**Avovisto- **I'm glad you were okay with the length, this one is longer so it sort of makes up for the last one, hopefully. Thanks bunches for the review!

**Hazel Maraa- **Yes, yes, it was very sad indeed : ( I'm glad you enjoyed my story though! Thanks for reading : )

**Sweet Sarcasm-** Woohoo, comment my livejournal! Hmm maybe I should update it… Thanks for the review!

**Lilypad-7879- **Hehe, glad I could please you so much with an update : ) Yeah it was pretty confusing with Slughorn, I'm not sure if I should put him in or if it's too late… Well anyway thanks very much for the review, I appreciate it!

**DisastaMasta/Forget-me-not- **Wow, you really liked the sixth book! Lol I thought it was really different, and I think I need the seventh book to actually tell how I feel about it. I'm really, really hoping there's a twist with Snape… but anyway thanks for the review!

**Zippyfox**- I'm glad you're lovin' it! Hehe, I feel the same way pretty much about the sixth book, there were some very shocking parts. Thanks so much for the review, I really appreciate it!

**M-girls**- Very happy you're enjoying it, thanks for the always reliable reviews : )

**Panting Slightly**- I'm glad my chapter could wake you up; 9:30 is a sad hour to be awake in the summertime. It's awesome I could make you laugh, I really love hearing that! Thanks so much for the review: )

**OmnipotentOtter**- Sorry about your partner quitting on your story : ( If you ever need anyone to help with a fic you can always e-mail me. Thanks so much for recommending my story to a couple people, I really appreciate it!

**The Big Dance**- Aw thanks, I'm really glad you like it : ) I appreciate the input and enthusiasm, it really helps a lot!

**Spork Princess**- I'm glad you liked the part with the Marauders, I hope you enjoyed this chapter too. The reviews are immensely appreciated, thanks so much!

**Dragon Rider22**- Ooh it was a bust out : ) Who'd want to party with the Blacks? Hehe… I hope you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!

**Rhiawoods**- Hmm I'm really thinking (and hoping) there will be a twist with the whole Snape thing, I don't think JKR would just leave it at that, you know? I liked the part with Malfoy too; it was nice to see such a change of character. Lol you're right, it was nice with him being not such a sadistic teenager in this one ; )

**Highlandhottie**- I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter… hehe I liked the 'Won Won' part too. : p

**Erisedxdesire**- It's okay you didn't review the last chapter, thanks for reviewing this one though! Yes I was pretty happy that there was no James/Lily info to spoil the fic, though I wouldn't have minded a bit more goodies about them. Thanks for the review, I appreciate it!

**MooningOverMoony**- Hmm I know what you mean, a lot of fanfics seem to be at a standstill right now, I haven't read many in a while. I'll letcha know if beta has any though, thanks for the review!

**BlueSeal**- Hi! I'm so sad you're leaving for college : ( I hope we can still stay in touch! Thanks bunches for the review.

**Hermione Puckle**- Hehe I'm glad you're enjoying the story, thanks for letting me know with a review : ) I hope you liked this chapter too, talk to you next update!

**Dance-flirt- **Lol I didn't know your review responses were short. Hmm nope Sirius didn't get chased by any geese, thankfully. I hope you enjoyed the ball scene and the rest of the chapter, thanks for the review!

**Ieyre**- I'm glad you liked the Black family parts of the chapter, I hope you liked these too. Thanks so much for the review, yours are always truly treasured : )

**NikkyB**- Hehe I'm happy I could distract you from your boring studies (I had physics last year, it's tough). Thanks for the awesome review, I really appreciate it!

**Melfster**- Thanks for the positive review, I'm glad you're enjoying the different aspects of the story.

**Sapphire039**- I'm glad you liked the Cheerless Chronicles : ) Ooh okay, review with your screen name so I can invite you to the chat!

**xoGossipGirlox- **Lol _everyone_'s asking about Julie and Sirius, but I must say in the story they're not at the same levels and it wouldn't really fit. Though there will be another love interest entering soon… ; ) Thanks for the review!

**DeppGirl14**- Ooh that guy was sooo handsome in Moulin Rouge… Not to mention an incredible singer. I wonder if Remus had a good singing voice? Hehe. Hmm I wonder who you're going to choose for Peter…

**Mystikalolo**- I'm glad you see the characters the same way I do, and also that I could capture them for you : ) Hmm good suspicions about Julie's mom… I hope this was updated quickly enough for you, thanks for the review!

**May Olivia**- Aw hehe, I'm glad you're enjoying it so much because I'm really enjoying your reviews! Thanks for the consistently positive in-put, I really appreciate it!

**EilayAdnayVolieay**- Hmm what was your penname before? Oh man, I was thinking the _exact_ same thing: it would've been so awesome if Harry could've gone to a memory that involved his parents. Wow your review was so incredibly great… I'm sure I don't deserve all of those awesome words, but thanks either way : ) Ooh that would've been great with a Christmas present, unfortunately the chapter's already 16 pages long so I don't think it'd be good to add anymore, hehe. Thanks so much for the review!

**Sttepph**- Thanks, I'm happy you enjoyed the chapter and Remus's way of thinking. I hope you liked this chapter too!

**Melissa**- Oh how your flatter me! It's awesome enough to hear people are recommending my story, but suggested me to write a novel is just mind-boggling! Thanks so much for making me feel incredible!

**Hershey.xoxo.Kisses**- Ooh I'll be sure to check out your story as soon as I get this uploaded. Thanks bunches for the review!

**Mystic Madness**- Thanks for the enthusiastic review! Keep on going I shall : )

**I-Lurve-Harry-and-Ron**- Thanks a lot, I'm glad you liked it!

**KicKstand**- Hehe I like your interesting pennames. Ooh I like the way you think… anything to meet Rupert Grint! Though I'm not too fond of how long his hair has gotten. Have you seen the previews for The Goblet of Fire?

**Juicilyn- **I'm glad you liked the way I portrayed Sirius and his family, and that you don't like Juile's mom either ; ) Yes it was definitely a crazy book, very sad too! Thanks so much for the enthusiastic review!

**Sarah Warder**- Yes Dietrich is German, I got if off one of their sites ; ) Hmm maybe I will do a preface… I'll talk to beta about that. Thanks for the suggestions!

**Eyes of sky**- Lol… Sorry again about that mess up, thanks for the geography check!

**DestinyofInsanity**- Aw, I'm glad you and IamSiriusgrl still talk. Ooh a guy… wow she found one quick! Hehe well thanks for the review, much appreciated!

**Windowseat Wonderer**- Happy you liked it! Good, good, 'perfectly horrid' is exactly how Sirius's parents should be described. Thanks a lot for the review!

**Punkgirl19892007**- Glad you like the story, hmm the Harry Potter candy was just from a drug store, and a beta is someone that checks over your story for grammar mistakes and gives suggestions.

**Tennislvr1904**- Well I do enjoy tennis, but right now we're conditioning for the season so I'm _very_ achy. Thanks mucho for the review!

**Armith-Greenleaf**- Hello! You have to wait for it to get translated? Where do you live, if you don't mind me asking? Well I'm really glad you enjoyed all of the chapters, thanks for sharing it with me!

**Kat44**- Yes, a friend like Remus does sound nice. (Mm and the whipped cream and cherry too : p) Thanks so much for the review, I always love 'em!

**Sallymander**- I'm glad you liked it so much! Thanks for letting me know : )

**Faerielights804**- Hehe, I'm happy you enjoyed the first couple of chapters; I hope you liked the rest too!

**ZebraStripedFlamingo**- Ah yes, the cat must watch out when Julie's mom is around. Hehe, I hope this chapter was updated quickly enough, thanks for the review!

**Future-Mrs-Potter**- Hi! I'm really glad you enjoyed the chapter, ahh yes… love the screen name! Which Potter are you hoping to marry, exactly? You'd have to fight the wrath of a red-head either way ; ) Thanks for the review!

**KaylaAyleen**- Hmm I don't really understand why Lucious couldn't be in Hogwarts, because if Narcissa was younger than him then it would work out with Andromeda being younger too. It's all very confusing… ah well, I might've missed something somewhere.

**MissBlack**- I'm glad you liked the way I portrayed Lily and James and their relationship, thanks so much for the input!

**Sblomie**- Oh no… _three_ viruses? I had two and I could hardly stand it. Ugh yeah I know what you mean about having a love/hate feeling about the sixth book… I'm hoping for a twist in the seventh. Thanks so much for the review, I truly love 'em!

**Abby**- I'm glad this chapter met your expectations, thanks for the review and I hope you had fun on vacation : )

**Purplereader**- I'm very pleased you enjoyed it, thanks for the optimistic input : ) Talk to you next update!

**Killmenow618**- Aww lol, no I really love reading reviews like the one you gave me! I hope you enjoyed it : )

**Soyy**- Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! The review was much appreciated : )

**LittleWriterGirl**- Hehe, I'm glad my story could hold your attention, thanks for all of the positive feedback : ) I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	58. To Be a Marauder

Standing There By You

Chapter 58- To Be a Marauder

**A/N: Yeah. Um... Yeah. That was a long wait, wasn't it? Truly, honestly, terribly sorry. Please don't abandon me... I love you all forever. : )**

**---**

Remus knew something was amiss when he reached his dormitory and a heavy fog was billowing beneath the door.

Fully prepared to shout at his unruly roommates for whatever senseless scheme they were pulling, Remus was mildly surprised when he found the room to be completely empty. Well, perhaps 'empty' wasn't the word for it.

Above him, wild purple swirls danced about the bedposts and the thick fog that had greeted him covered nearly every inch of the dormitory. Low, foreboding hoots and wails resonated throughout the room, completing the ominous atmosphere.

Remus shook his head. He knew his friends well enough to understand that walking through the unusual setting might very well turn him into an invertebrate animal or something of the like, but tired and requiring the Transfiguration book beneath his bed, he decided to take his chances. Cautiously he ventured to his bed, hardly able to see through the dense fog. When he finally reached it, a piercing howl nearly caused him to spring backwards into Sirius's bedpost; giving an irritated sigh of frustration, he regained his composure and made to search his bed once more-- only to again trigger the startling scream and to fall backwards in the exact same fashion. He immediately lunged forward, prepared this time for the shocking sound and determined to find the source of it. Waving away some of the persistent fog, he was able to catch a glimpse of a folded piece of paper resting on top of his pillow. Curiosity overpowering the sensible part of his mind screaming at him to run away while he was still physically capable, he reached toward the crisp parchment and found that tall script filled the inside.

_To Maraud: To rove and raid in search of plunder._

Remus raised his brows in interest, wondering what his barmy mates had conspired this time. He read on,

_To be a Marauder: Must enjoy, or at least pretend to enjoy roving and raiding in search of plunder, partake in at least two illegal activities once a month, and never, ever, under any circumstances break a promise or eagerly anticipated proposition made to a fellow Marauder (especially a stuffy old werewolf). _

_Redemption: You, Us, Midnight…_

_Be there._

Remus chuckled softly, allowing the parchment to drift back onto his bed- he only jumped a few feet when Sirius's voice cackled loudly in a malicious laugh and the parchment sprung closed on its own. Shaking his head, his smiled wavered. He was certainly glad his friends were still attempting his overdue birthday celebration, but he wondered what they were going to do when he reminded them the moon was full tonight and he had an unbreakable engagement elsewhere.

---

"Turn to page 53, Mr. Lupin," Professor McGonagall instructed the tardy student that was rushing to his designated seat. "We are comparing and contrasting Gelmet's Theory. I certainly hope you have an excellent reason for being late."

Remus shot his friends a look, but they merely gazed back with large, innocent eyes. He rolled his own and hurried to sit down. "Sorry professor," he apologized, "I forgot my book in my dormitory and I had a… difficult time getting to it."

"Very well," McGonagall frowned, returning to the head of the classroom and continuing her lecture. The next seat over, Grace shook her head.

"You're lucky you're an outstanding student," she informed him in a whisper. "That was an astoundingly lame excuse."

Remus raised his brow in Sirius's direction. "It was the truth," he replied quietly.

Sirius avoided his eyes. "Stop looking at me like that. I'm trying to learn Transfiguration."

"If I could have your complete attention," the professor raised her voice, shooting the chattering group an austere glare, "I do have a rather important announcement to make." Once everyone was silent, she picked up a few papers that had rested in a neat pile on her desk and looked around at the expectant students. "The Heads of the Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin houses and I have decided to give several select students of Hogwarts a chance to partake in a project that is being presented to us by the Ministry of Magic. It will involve thorough research and experimental spell-work, and is an excellent opportunity to explore future careers and to show off your talent to many renowned figures. One student from each house in fifth or sixth year will be chosen through an application and individual interviews, and final decisions will be announced at the end of the month. Applications are available at the back of the classroom, along with a calendar to sign up for interviews…"

"Presenting for the Ministry?" Lily whispered, her excited comment one among many that sounded from the students. "Can you imagine that on a résumé?"

"It sounds amazing," Julie responded, her eyes still following McGonagall as she continued to explain the event.

Grace wrinkled her nose. "Yes, but did you hear her? You'd have to work with a one person from each house… in case you don't recall, that would include a _Slytherin_."

"It's a scandal," Sirius added his input to their conversation, craning his neck to peer around Remus. "I hope they come to their senses and realize two Gryffindors would achieve _much_ more than a Gryffindor and a Slytherin any day."

"One Gryffindor could achieve more than a thousand Slytherins," James contended from his seat beside Sirius. "I'm not even certain I would want to participate at all if I was forced to work with one of those disgusting blokes every day."

"Well that's all right, Potter," Lily smirked at him above the three people between them, "because you would _certainly_ never get in."

James shrugged calmly. "It isn't as if _you_ should be so sure of yourself," he replied. "You are only second in the class, after all."

Grace sighed as she prepared herself for one of Lily's outrageous rants- she was _very _touchy about James's reigning rank of first in the class. "I--," Lily drummed her fingers heatedly against the table as she searched frantically for a retort. "Shut up," she finished lamely.

The boy raised a curious brow at the unusually lacking response. "Losing your bite, Evans? I hope not, it was one of your most striking attributes."

Lily turned away from him huffily, returning her gaze to McGonagall. "He's so exasperating," she said under her breath to Julie, but her friend was preoccupied with their teacher's instructions.

"C'mon," Julie said, standing up. "She said we could have the rest of class to start on the applications."

Most of the students stood up to retrieve an application, but before James, Sirius, and Peter could, Remus stopped them. "Wait," he told them, stepping close so no outsiders could hear him speaking. "I got the letter… but I can't make it tonight."

"Make it where?" Sirius asked dumbly.

Remus rolled his eyes. "I know you know what I'm talking about," he insisted. "But listen, tonight…" he nodded his head pointedly toward the window and continued in a voice that was barely audible. "It's a full moon."

James nodded his head slowly. "Right…" Crossing his arms, he continued, "We still have no idea what you're talking about."

Peter shook his head quickly. "Not a clue," he chirped.

"But--,"

"Hurry up or there won't be any applications left," Sirius said, and they began to make their way to the back of the room.

"Urgh," Remus responded meekly. Relenting, he followed the curious acting boys to claim an application at the table surrounded by many anxious others.

---

When Remus returned to the dormitory that afternoon, all of the foreign adornments had disappeared and none of the startling sounds remained. Slightly relieved, he pushed the door open all the way and entered the room.

Sirius looked up when he heard someone make their way across the dormitory. "James--? Oh, hey Remus."

Remus raised his eyes in interest toward his friend. "Nice to be so cordially greeted," he sardonically replied.

"Sorry," Sirius picked up a sugar quill and took to sucking the end of it distractedly. "Have you seen him around? James, I mean."

Walking to his bed and heaving his heavy bag onto it, Remus shook his head. "Has detention after school for the week, doesn't he?"

"Ah, right," Sirius nodded. "Forgot about his Minnie marathon."

Remus perched onto his mattress, still cautious of any alarming noises sounding from his bed. Gazing across the room at Sirius, he noticed his friend donned a rather peculiar expression. "If you really need to speak with James you could use those little mirror gadgets, couldn't you?" he suggested.

Sirius's eyes brightened for a moment, but then the same perplexed look reappeared. "No," he shook his head, straightening against his headboard. "It wouldn't really be… appropriate."

"Ah," Remus inclined his head, still utterly confused.

After a short lapse of silence, Sirius flipped onto his stomach and crawled to the end of his bed to face Remus. "Have you noticed anything different about Lily lately?" he asked suddenly.

"What?" Remus stared at him, clearly not expecting that question. "No, not really… I don't know. Why do you ask?"

Leaning against his palm, Sirius stared blankly at the simple carvings in his bedpost. "So you didn't know her parents were murdered either," he said it as more of a statement than a question.

Across from him, Remus froze. "What?" he finally whispered.

Sirius exhaled. "I overheard some people discussing it at my parents' Christmas party," he told him. "It must've happened last year, by the way they were talking."

Remus continued to stare at him, searching for a sign it was all some twisted joke. When his friend's face remained unusually grave, he shook his head, horrified. "I had no idea… It wasn't in the papers or anything."

"They were both muggles," said Sirius. "Supposedly it was that Voldemort guy we've heard mentioned several times in the news that was behind it… but I only know that because the men talking about it were Dark Art scum." Looking up at Remus, he asked, "How should I act around her, exactly? I've never really… I'm not around this much."

"Me either," Remus said, shaking his head. "I suppose the best thing would be to act a bit kinder… If she hasn't mentioned it for this long she probably doesn't want to talk about it at all."

"Kinder," Sirius nodded intently. "Right."

Remus leaned back onto his elbows. "It's weird," he said slowly. "Being with someone for the majority of your time, and not really knowing them at all."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, nodding slowly as he remained lost in his own thoughts. "It is."

---

"This thing is enormous…" Grace complained, tossing the large application aside and flopping onto a couch by the common room fire. "I think I'm going to wait to fill it out when I have a full stomach. I wonder what we're having for dinner..."

"We have to have them completed by our interviews," Lily said, continuing to write as she spoke. "I signed up for the earliest one I could- to show initiative- and besides, it's all quite basic information."

Grace gave a heavy sigh in response and rolled over onto her stomach. "Oh no," she mourned, frowning at Julie as she sat hunched over her own application. "Don't tell me you're joining this frenzy too."

"I am," she replied, not breaking away from her determined effort. She finished a response to one of the prompts slowly and meticulously, and then put her quill aside to examine it several times.

"Hmm…" Grace said lazily, settling into the cushions. "Well, to each her own."

"Are you saying you're not even going to try?" Lily admonished. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime, this is the greatest chance we have at success, this is--,"

"Don't get too excited, Evans," a familiar voice advised from the other side of the common room.

Lily's head whipped up and she scowled as she viewed James Potter heading in her direction. "Shove off, Potter," she said, returning to one of the many short response questions.

"It's all right, I can see why you would be so anxious about getting the position," James said in a feigned voice of understanding, as he sank into a dingy gold-trimmed armchair.

"James," Sirius called from the staircase that led to the boys' dormitory, motioning him upwards. "Come here for a second--,"

"I mean, it _is_ your only chance at success, after all." Peering at her papers, James clicked his tongue reprovingly. Sirius raced down the staircase when his friend didn't show signs of joining him anytime soon. "Although you might not want to write six paragraphs for a short response question; you're going to want to hide your pitiful desperation for as long as possible."

Lily opened her mouth as she prepared to launch a hefty rebuke, but was distracted as Sirius hurried over and lifted up her application. "I think it's wonderful," he said with forced and unexpected cheerfulness, smiling encouragingly. "Your thoughts are beautifully composed and- and _fantastic_ handwriting."

James and Lily gazed at him in wonder. "I don't need your sarcasm, Black," she responded uncertainly.

"I'm not being sarcastic," he quickly assured her. "It's really great. Your work is really great. You're really great. I like your robes, they're very flattering--,"

"What's wrong with you?" James asked, furrowing his brows at his strangely acting friend. "Are you under a curse?"

"No," Sirius shook his head, laughing tentatively. "I'm just giving her the flattery she deserves. Because, you know, she's really great--,"

"Ugh," James interrupted, cradling his head. "Sorry to suspend your sickening prattle, but I have to set up for Quidditch practice." With one last bewildered glance at Sirius, he spun around and headed back out of the common room. With a quick smile at Lily and an encouraging quip to keep up the good work, he hastily followed James's lead and headed towards the Portrait.

The moment his feet touched the ground Sirius made to catch up with his best friend, but before he could someone held him back. Twisting around to see who was tugging on his arm, he came face to face with Lily.

"What is it with you?" she demanded, glaring at him. "Did James stick a dungbomb in my bag while you were acting so strange to distract me? Or is it a Charms assignment you need me to bail you out of--,"

"No," Sirius promised, "it's nothing bad, I swear. I was just being… kind."

Lily stepped threateningly closer. "_Sirius_--,"

"Honestly," he insisted, "I'm being 100 genuine. 110, even. 150 if it was possible."

Taking matters into her own hands, or rather, the front of Sirius's robes into her own hands, Lily shook him aggressively and commanded, "Tell me what you're up to or I'll turn you into a giant toad."

Deflating, Sirius's forcibly optimistic expression descended into a frown. "I just-- I don't think I've treated you as kindly as I should have. Especially because…" he cut off, hesitating.

Lily's eyes narrowed. "Because why?"

"Well, you know…" Sirius started resignedly, "With your parents and all."

Silence followed his answer, as Lily merely blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I heard over Christmas break," he said, looking at the floor instead of at Lily. "I'm sorry."

"Oh," she said softly, her gaze flicking across the hall in contemplation. "That's- It's all right."

"James doesn't know yet," Sirius told her. "Otherwise I'm sure he wouldn't have… Well I'll tell him as soon as I get him to have a chat with me, so he won't--,"

"No," Lily interrupted.

Sirius looked up. "No? But Lily, I--,"

"I don't want you to tell anyone else, all right? Just keep it between you and me."

Frowning, Sirius crossed his arms. "I think it'd be better if I at least told James… then he wouldn't pester you so much."

"I know," Lily nodded. "That's exactly why I don't want you to tell him." When Sirius remained confused, she continued, "I've discovered that the worst thing in the world when something like this happens is to be constantly reminded of it." She laughed softly. "If he was to stop bothering me all the time, that's exactly what would happen. It's odd to admit… but it's sort of a constant in my life, you and him annoying me to my wit's end."

Sirius considered her reasoning, still appearing unsure. "Are you positive? He would definitely want to know, I'm sure…"

"Positive," Lily ascertained. "I would really appreciate it if you didn't tell him."

"All right," Sirius conceded. "I did already tell Remus though, sorry."

Lily smiled slightly. "That's okay. Remus was always nice to me, anyway."

Submitting to a soft chuckle himself, Sirius nodded his head in agreement. "Okay then," Lily said, feeling a tad awkward. She shifted her weight, glancing up at him. "No more of those '150 genuine' lapses, right?"

"Right," he ensured. "I'll see you around, you… barmy know-it-all."

Lily smiled. "See ya, prat."

---

As many times as Remus endeavored to make his friends understand he was undoubtedly preoccupied that night, they adamantly responded with an unknowing shrug and after awhile took to ignoring him completely. Significantly frustrated, he finally gave up and tried not to think too much about what they were up to. At half past four he routinely gathered a few things and headed to Madame Pomfrey's office so she could guide him as she always did to the Shrieking Shack.

The walk there was always uncomfortable; even though they had been doing this for five years, there was always a pitying glint in the nurse's eyes that knew what pain he was about to endure. It was unsettling- and made for horrible conversation.

"Here we are," Madame Pomfrey spoke in her mechanically cheerful tone. Ushering him inside the decrepit house, her protective trait prevailed as she benevolently patted him on the shoulders and led him to a tattered chair. "Try to have a good night dear," she retreated to the door, "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodbye," said Remus, as the door clicked shut and the clanking sound of metal signified the large locks the nurse was fiddling with on the door's exterior. Settling into the wrecked chair as best he could, he opened the book he had brought with him and began to read. The full moon wouldn't come up for a good hour or so- Madame Pomfrey always took him early just to be safe. With the security of the sunlight he became engrossed in _The Sound and the Fury_, rather happy to be reading about people who actually had more problems than he.

---

When the sun ventured on the edge of the sky, threatening to be replaced by its luminescent counterpart, Remus put down his book and stood up to set it in the small metal safe that rested inside a large cupboard. He learned from personal experience that an item left within the grasp of a werewolf was certain not to last very long. As he clicked the metal door shut, the sky grew darker and a tingling beneath his skin signaled a transformation was not far away.

He braced himself for the inevitable change, but was caught off-guard when a rustling noise sounded behind him. Spinning around, he nearly fell over in shock at the sight of three unmistakable figures.

"What are you doing?" he shouted frantically, backing as far away as he could. "Get out of here!"

"You worry too much," James chided, and before Remus could respond he, Sirius and Peter raised their wands and waved them around rapidly until distinguished, glowing patterns that looked as if they were straight out of his Ancient Runes book filled the darkening air.

Remus tried to protest further, but before he could a gnawing, manic sense came over him and threatened to overpower any thoughts of reason. He was blind to his surroundings as his eyes involuntarily shut at the pain that comes with the conversion of boy to wolf; his limbs lengthened gradually and painfully and nails changed to claws, teeth to fangs. His horror at the presence of his friends was replaced by wild thoughts and the uncontrolled beating of his throbbing heart. His eyelids snapped open, completing the transformation as it revealed the yellow glow of a werewolf instead of the soft brown of Remus.

Searching the room with wild vigor, he found that an odd variety of animals stood before him rather than three human boys. His predatory trait was triggered immediately and he launched himself toward the closest creature- a brazen, strikingly white stag whose height nearly matched his own. The magnificent animal was caught unaware by the blow and collapsed instantly beneath the wolf, but recovered quickly and leaped up to fend him off. Being the first time the werewolf was able to unleash some of his anger onto an actual animate thing, he continued to bound forward and latch his claws into the stag with an unrestrained fervor.

A panicked rat squeaked frantically below, attempting eagerly to find a way out; booming barks from an unusually large black dog added to the chaos. Finally, a desperate kick from the stag propelled the werewolf off of him and onto his back. The werewolf quickly scrambled back up, glaring at the heavily breathing animal that stood now as his foe.

The stag returned the glare with a determined stare of his own, trying desperately to search for the Remus he knew was hidden somewhere deep inside the vicious monster. Silence ensued until it was punctured by the werewolf's low, menacing growl, but instead of pouncing on the stag as expected, he took a pace backwards and examined the three creatures in an unusually subdued manner.

After a few minutes of this tense yet strangely calming silence, the big black dog ventured a brave step forward, tentatively swinging its tail and butting the werewolf playfully with its nose. The werewolf was defensive at first, but when the dog leaped away and indicated for him to follow with an affable incline of its head, he complied with intrigue rather than violence.

The stag seemed to exhale with relief as he followed the strange pair bounding up the wooden staircase, and the frantic rat scurried squeakily behind.

---

"_Stealth_," a distant voice vehemently whispered. "To represent the cunning, crafty, shrewd…"

Remus shifted beneath the crisp white sheets of the hospital wing, half-listening to the hushed argument taking place around him; although not quite awake, he was able distinguish the voices.

"What in the world are you talking about?" a second person responded, whom Remus determined to be James. "If we're going with characteristics then yours should definitely be slobber-boy, or something along those lines. I'm still shuddering to think of how you soaked me with that disgusting saliva."

"You're off your trolley," the first contended, voice growing louder with resentment; Remus easily spotted Sirius's defensive tone. "If I had to--,"

"You are all nutters," Remus mumbled, rolling onto his stomach and placing the ends of the pillows over his ears. "And loud. You're loud nutters."

"Remus is up!" Sirius exclaimed jovially, abandoning his cross conduct and hopping on the end of the hospital bed.

"That's because you make it impossible to sleep," Remus complained, rubbing his eyes groggily. Last night's events wandered hazily in his mind, and when he strained to recall them the only conclusion he came to was that they had been immensely strange.

"Listen Remus," Sirius continued, "James is being rather ridiculous and doesn't agree I should be called Stealth or anything of the sort, but when I salvaged the night in my cunning canine form--,"

"Your what?" Remus asked distractedly, still vying to remember why the previous night had been so unusual. As Sirius opened his mouth to respond, however, everything came rushing back to him; he sprung up to kneel on his bed to face his friends. "You were there," he whispered slowly, "before I transformed, I saw you… and then those animals appeared--," Comprehension settling in, his eyes widened to an abnormal width as he choked, "You didn't…"

"Happy Birthday," Peter sang happily, smiling. "Wasn't that a great present? Worth the wait, eh? I mean, who else gets three Animagi for their birthday!"

Remus's lips were far from transforming to a grin. "_No_," he said, "I-- I thought that was just a fruitless notion of three foolish 12 year olds… You can't-- You didn't…"

"We can," Sirius grinned.

"We did," James affirmed.

Remus sank back into his bed, his face white with shock. "What if it didn't work?" he uttered, voice strangled and stunned. At that moment his gaze fell on James and his clumsily, yet heavily bandaged arm. "Oh Merlin, I hurt you…"

"Nah," James shook his head dismissively. "Just a few scratches… I'm fine."

Remus frowned, certain he was lying. For one, he was leaning all of his weight on the bed beside them because of what looked like an injured knee, and for another, traces of blood were seeping through the thin and poorly wrapped bandage that covered his arm, and when Remus looked closer, a good portion of his chest as well. "You were the stag," he determined softly, recalling the violent brawl.

"Yeah," James nodded. Catching Remus's contrite eyes examining his wounds, he continued firmly, "It's not your fault. And besides, once you got over the shock of having company everything was fine. Better than fine, even; look, you hardly have any scratches at all."

It was true- Remus's normally injured body was the most unharmed it had been in years. Aside from the sudden fear of knowing his friends had put themselves in such certain danger, he felt more relaxed than ever after a night in the Shrieking Shack, which was usually made worse by extreme loneliness. "Yeah," he said, looking back up at his friends. He shifted uncomfortably. "So, you finally met the Full Moon Remus."

"Eh, I'm rather fond of ol' Moony," Sirius responded, smirking. "Once you get past the claws and fangs he's really quite amiable."

Remus's mouth twitched into a slight smile. "I'm sure Moony was rather fond of you, as well. As soon as he got past the urge to consume you, of course."

"Of course," Sirius nodded. His eyes widened. "That's what we'll call you-- Moony. Simple… yet intriguing."

James filled Remus in. "We've decided that if we're going to do something as remarkable… and illegal… as this, code names are essential."

Sirius huffed grumpily. "We _would _have my name picked out as well, but James is being an arse about it."

"Sirius," James groaned, staring at him exasperatedly, "I'm _not _going to call you Stealth Master."

A smile that threatened to appear at their childish banter was quickly replace by a frown, as Remus remained fixed on the seriousness of the situation. "You're not registered," he reasoned, making sure to keep his voice down. "You could go to Azkaban if someone found out."

"Remus," Sirius said earnestly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, "we're not going to get caught. And even if we did, we'd rather risk being roomies with those warmhearted dementors for a couple years than have you spend the rest of your life lonely in that horrid state. If we're able to help, there's no way we're not going to."

James inclined his head to confirm the triviality of the consequences, "Cold accommodations and inhospitable hosts… I think we could handle it."

Remus finally allowed himself a reluctant bit of laughter. No matter how stupid, senseless, or irrational their arguments were, it still heartened him significantly to hear their attempt at reassurance. "I'm fairly certain," he began, still smiling, "I have the three most idiotic friends on the entire planet." He looked up, gazing at them sincerely. "Thanks."

James smiled. "No problem. It is what we're best at."

---

**A/N: Hmm... Just curious, does anyone have any preference for what's to come next? I have some things necessary for the plot to put in, but I was just wondering what you'd like to see.**

**Ah... So, I received an e-mail telling me that review responses were no longer allowed. I was of course distraught, but then I decided to just create an livejournal account dedicated to responding to your reviews instead of posting them in the actual chapter. I already have your responses ready, so check out my home page in a couple of days to viewthem if you so desire. Thanks!**

**Also, wish beta luck! She moved off to a frighteningly large college (leaving me physically but still contributing her wonderful beta-ing abilities). **


	59. Perplexing Propositions

Standing There By You

Ch. 59- Perplexing Propositions

**A/N**: Hello! It's been quite a while, I know… but my beta and I are very excited to be back in action! I promise I will be unflaggingly faithful to Standing There By You... promisepromisepromise.

In case you can't** remember** what happened **last chapter** (because I sure couldn't)...

The boys just went through a successful (albeit a bit painful) night as Animagi with Remus

Sirius found out about Lily's parents

Also, I haven't really elaborated on it and I'll definitely give more info about it in the future, but the students are currently vying for the position of Student Envoy, a sort of internship at the Ministry in which a fifth or sixth year student from each house will get to participate. (They turned their applications in last chapter.)

Okay, now read : )

…

James, Sirius, and Peter slumped farther and farther in their chairs, abandoning entirely their attempt to stay awake in the draining Transfiguration class they were being forced to endure. Aside from its usual dullness, the boys were impaired by the sleepless night they had spent out with Remus in their new-found animal forms. Thankfully, there was nothing particularly significant to be done that day.

"Class dismissed," Professor McGonagall announced, and the boys roused from their stupor appreciatively. As the students began departing from the classroom, she called, "And please, make certain you come prepared for your interviews tonight."

The boys gave a collective groan. "I haven't even started to prepare," James said, slinging his bag over his shoulder and languidly making his way out the door.

Sirius yawned. "My preparation will consist of a very long nap."

"Wonder if Remus remembers," Peter mused.

James teetered on the staircase, debating between heading toward his common room and the promise of a comfortable couch, or journeying across the entire school to stop by the hospital wing and remind Remus of the important evening. "Oh," he moaned, turning around with a heavy sigh. "Why must we be such good friends?"

"It's just who we are," Sirius said somberly.

"Give me a break," Lily pleaded, crossing her arms.

The boys halted their conversation at the unexpected remark and turned to face Lily, who was rolling her eyes incredulously. "What are you on about?" Sirius asked, offended by the undeserved assault.

"Your friend is sick and you act like visiting him is the most taxing thing in the world," she reproved, glaring at the boys.

Before anyone could respond, Julie cut in. "Do you know if he's still in the infirmary? Grace mentioned she was going to see him this morning and we haven't seen her for awhile. She wasn't even in Transfiguration."

"Er, yeah," James said, trying to appear nonchalant. "But he probably doesn't want--,"

"We'll go with you, then," Lily declared, striding forward and taking the lead.

"No--," Sirius started, but James shook his head.

"Don't even try," he said, watching the adamant redhead barrel before them. "Once a train starts roaring down the tracks, there's no stopping it."

Lily whipped around, walking backwards now. "Did you just compare me to a train?"

Sirius surveyed her and nodded approvingly. "She's even emitting steam," he remarked.

"Come on," Julie said, grabbing her irate friend's arm and dragging her toward the stairs.

James put a hand on his Sirius's shoulder and imitated a train, bobbing up and down as they ascended the staircase. Sirius smiled enthusiastically. "Choo choo!"

…

"Excuse me," Madame Pomfrey bristled, staring sternly at the line of students traveling through the hospital wing. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Eh, go on Pom," Sirius said, smiling affectionately. "You know you like it when we visit."

The young nurse shook her head in exasperation, but her expression had noticeably softened. "Hurry up, then," she permitted with a sigh, stepping toward Remus's usual bed and drawing back the bed curtains. She leaped backwards as if burned, and the students looked around her to see what was the matter.

"Oh, hello," Grace said slowly, lifting her head off of Remus's shoulder where it had previously been nestled. She smiled guiltily. "You're probably wondering what I'm doing here."

Lily wasn't the only one with the capability of transforming into a steam engine. "Young lady!" the nurse admonished, grabbing Grace by her elbow. "Have you been here all day! You have classes!"

"Yes," she said tentatively, trying to wiggle out of the angry woman's grasp. "But you see, we weren't doing anything very important in Muggle Studies… Or History of Magic… Or Transfiguration…"

"Out," Madame Pomfrey ordered, ushering her toward the door. "All of you," she said, looking around at the fifth years. "Out, out, out. Don't give me that puppy dog face, Sirius, I mean it. All of you, out!"

Remus dazedly lifted himself into an upright position. "It's all right," he insisted. "They can stay."

"Absolutely not," Madame Pomfrey declared. She pointed toward the door. Everyone ambled grudgingly into the hallway, except Grace who lingered persistently behind. "I mean it," the nurse said firmly. "Anyone without an ailment that is left standing in this room in five seconds will _very_ much wish they hadn't." By then everyone had made their way into the hallway, save Grace who shifted on the tiled floor, scuffing her foot stubbornly along its ridges. The nurse's eyes glowed angrily. "Five… four…"

Lily shifted edgily outside the door. "Grace," she said tentatively. "Maybe you should just come along with us."

Grace ignored her, looking up with innocent, round eyes. Very pointedly, she lifted her hand

and gave a small cough. "I think I'm coming down with something," she told the nurse very seriously.

"I'm sure you are. Well, that will be the least of your worries if you don't--,"

"Please let her stay," Remus said, gazing pitifully at Madame Pomfrey.

For a moment she looked as if her resolve may have weakened, but she quickly returned to her mission. "No," she said inflexibly, warning, "Don't make me get Professor Dumbledore" when Grace crossed her arms and looked as if she had absolutely no intentions of leaving.

"All right," Remus sighed, shifting achingly so his legs dangled off the bed. "But I'm going to have to leave too, then."

Madame Pomfrey's eyes widened. "No!" she said, rushing forward. "You're certainly not ready yet; you need to stay here for the rest of the evening at the very _least_."

Remus shrugged one arm, and then grimaced deeply to stress how painful it was simply getting out of bed. He gradually took one agonizing step after another. "I'm sure I'll be fine…"

Madame Pomfrey's narrowed eyes relaxed, her determination waning. Remus stumbled forward and clutched his side, groaning aloud. "Oh… _Fine_," she relented.

Grace clapped her hands together happily. "Excellent," she said, smiling at Remus as she returned to his bedside.

From the hallway, James called, "See you later, Remus. Don't forget about the interviews tonight."

"Oh… right." He frowned, nodding. "Thanks."

"What's the matter with Remus, anyway?" Julie's concerned voice drifted into the room as the students made their way down the hallway.

"Peruvian Vipertooth," said James swiftly.

Sirius shook his head tragically. "Vicious buggers, they are."

Grace grinned as she hurried back to the chair beside Remus's bed. "No, no," Madame Pomfrey said, guiding her forcefully by the shoulders to a neighboring bed. "You said you were sick," she reminded her, snatching a bottle from a shelf along the way. She twisted off the cap and held up a spoon. "Open up!"

Grace grimaced as she recognized the very ill tasting medicine she had once been forced to take for a ghastly head cold. She made a disgusted face, but finally complied and opened her mouth. After the nurse rather cheerfully- too cheerfully, Grace thought sourly- gave her a large dose of medicine, she blanched and fell into a genuine bout of coughs; leaning against her pillow, she craned her neck to look at her amused boyfriend. "I hope you appreciate this," she said throatily.

Remus gave her a pleasant smile. "I certainly do. You're very entertaining, Miss Shadron."

…

"So Evans," James said loudly, hurrying to match her quick pace. "Ready for those interviews tonight?"

Lily hugged her books against her chest, staring adamantly forward. "Of course," she replied distractedly.

"I don't get what the big deal is about this… Student Envoy thing," Sirius muttered his opinion, falling carelessly behind. "Our professors are already piling on the work, why would anyone willingly add more?"

As hard as Lily was attempting to ignore the boys, she couldn't help but to counter Sirius's comment. "Being Student Envoy would be an amazing privilege. Imagine the opportunities and experience you would receive by working _firsthand_ with Ministry members."

"My parents work for the Ministry," James said proudly, brushing off an imaginary piece of dust from the pocket of his robe. "It'll be fantastic to work with them."

Lily narrowed her eyes at James. "_You_ aren't going to get the position," she said bluntly. "Your arrogance is disgusting." Straightening proudly, she added, "Besides, I'm obviously far more qualified."

"Blimey, Evans," James said, his voice soaked with sarcasm. "How _ever _do you manage to be so modest?"

Lily pulled her eyes away from James and shrugged, saying simply, "I only speak the truth. I would bet my _life_ Professor McGonagall would see me as the better candidate, and rightfully so."

James took a large stride and swooped before her, blocking her way. Lily gave an irritated huff, trying earnestly but failing miserably to get past the boy who towered before her. He raised an amused brow at her fruitless attempt. "Would you really?" he asked.

Lily's face twisted confusedly. "Would I really what?"

"Bet your life," he reminded her.

"I…" Lily looked confused, but was determined not to act so. "Certainly."

"I just may take you up on that," James said, cocking his head thoughtfully. "But for something a little less extreme than your life. For legal purposes, you know."

A glint of understanding appeared in Lily's eyes. "What's your proposition, then?"

James paused a beat, thinking. "If I get chosen, you have to…" Leaning forward, he breathed the rest of his wager into her ear so only she could hear. Sirius and Julie looked on curiously as Lily stepped backwards and she let out a loud bout of laughter. "Ha! I would never--,"

"Thought you were confident you'd win," James cut in, smiling when she stumbled over her response.

"I… Well," Lily peered at James icily. "I _am_ confident." Sticking out her hand for James to shake, she proclaimed, "It's a bet."

"Excellent," James said, swiveling around and continuing down the hall.

"Wait!" Lily yelled. "And what if I win?"

"You won't," James assured her, not bothering to turn around.

"_James Potter_!"

"Blooming Billywigs, Evans," James said, rubbing his ears. "You've got a mouth on you." He smirked. "That will _certainly_ come in handy when you have to fulfill my wager."

…

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall greeted brusquely, her austere eyes narrowing at the boy she had come rather acquainted to having chats with in her office. This visit was unique, however, in that he had for once come willingly. "First of all, you must be aware that the title of Student Envoy is laden with--,"

"Quite aware," James returned with a self-confident smile. "I can handle _anything_."

She lifted a brow, muttering a simple "Mmm" in response. Glancing down at James's application, she scanned it for the sections she had previously made a special note of. "Under 'Additional Comments', you have insisted that you 'are most assuredly the only one to take into account for such an elite and demanding position, and--,"

"-- to even consider another candidate would be a waste of your precious time," James finished for her. "Very credible, isn't it?"

"Let's talk about credibility," Professor McGonagall said firmly, combating the swift boy to regain control of the meeting. "While you have managed to obtain scores of--,"

"The highest possible degree," James winked, "and more."

"Mr. Potter," the irritated professor said, tapping her quill impatiently. "If you would--,"

"I just want you to remember, professor, that everything I've done--,"

"Mr. Potter…"

"Be it schoolwork, quidditch, or to put it broadly, life--,"

"_Mr. Potter_…"

"I have been ultimately and quite astoundingly success--,"

"Mr. Potter!"

James finally drew his eyes upward to meet hers, slightly put off that she had disrupted him. "Yes?"

"The position of Student Envoy requires the ability to cooperate well with your fellow colleagues," Professor McGonagall continued tiredly. "Do you believe you could fulfill this qualification?"

James nodded assuredly. "Ah, yes. I have an _amazing_ ability to listen."

…

In the corridor outside of McGonagall's office, James came across a slightly mad and very familiar redhead. She was sitting on a stone window seat, tapping her foot repetitively and quietly reciting something indistinguishable to herself. "If you can muster up the sanity," James said, leaning close and causing Lily to nearly fall off the bench in surprise, "I believe Minerva is ready for you."

Lily steadied herself and stood up primly. "Thank you," she said with as much dignity as possible.

"Best of luck to you," he called, as she walked quickly past him and through the door. Folding his arms when she failed to respond to his rare sincerity, he added ominously, "You'll need it!"

Professor McGonagall gave a small smile when she peered above her glasses and found Lily standing before her. "Welcome, Miss Evans. Please have a seat."

Lily smiled back, smoothing her robes as she slipped into a nearby chair. "Is that my application?" she asked eagerly.

The professor glanced at the papers laid out on her desk. Gesturing toward the tiny writing that overflowed each line and even spilled onto the back, she inquired, "Who else's would it be?"

Lily gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry… I had a lot to say."

"Quite all right," Professor McGonagall assured her. She traced the application with her pointer finger, stopping somewhere along the middle where the neat print rapidly swelled. "I see you have an interest in working with the Ministry."

"Oh yes," Lily replied, nodding in affirmation. "I've very interested to see how everything on the inside operates."

The professor acknowledged this with a knowing nod. "It is very intriguing. I think you would be fascinated by what goes on in a place with such power." Glancing downward, she continued with the next question. "You commented that your grades and record are enough to prove you're the best person to fill the position. How so?"

Lily straightened in her chair. "As you well know, Professor McGonagall, I've earned top grades in every one of my classes for four and a half years. My record at Hogwarts has been, and will remain, entirely blemish free, a blatant indication that I will be dutiful and successful at whatever tasks are set forth for me to complete."

After taking a few minutes to jot some notes down on her parchment, Professor McGonagall looked up and smiled. "Very well, Lily. You can send in Remus Lupin if he's ready."

"Remus?" Lily asked. "Oh, he's in the infirmary. He looked pretty ill, professor, I don't believe he'll be able to come. Should I tell him a good day to reschedule?"

Professor McGonagall frowned in thought; after a short pause, she shifted her parchments subtly to peer at her calendar. "Ah…" she said slowly, and sighed. "Well, rather regretfully we have a meeting to discuss the applicants with a few prominent Ministry members tonight, and it cannot be postponed. I suppose you should send in the next student… Juliana Taylor."

"Oh, certainly. Have a good evening, professor." Lily exited the room with a smile, immensely relieved that the interview had gone so smoothly. Entering the hallway in an excited hurry, she turned a corner and nearly stumbled right into her best friend. "Oh, sorry Julie," Lily apologized, stepping backwards. "I was just looking for you; she's ready when you are."

"All right," Julie said, paling a bit. She did not miss the lingering smile on Lily's lips. "The interview went well?"

"I think so," Lily replied, her smile growing. "Well, good luck!"

Julie mumbled a soft thanks, starting toward the direction Lily had came from. Before she pushed open the door, she breathed deeply, attempting to stifle her nerves. Unfortunately, this act seemed to only further excite the butterflies in her stomach; chewing her lip and concealing her anxiety as much as she possibly could, Julie stepped into the office and regarded Professor McGonagall with a tentative smile.

"Ah, Miss Taylor," the professor acknowledged, as she finished writing some notes on Lily's application. Leaning back in her chair, she raised her head and brought her attention to the reserved girl before her. "So you are interested in the position of Student Envoy," she stated, tapping the desk with the end of her quill.

"Very," Julie avowed, nodding quickly.

"The qualities that we require for such a position are distinctive; we are searching for someone who will be able to manage their schoolwork, as well as the responsibilities that come with being a Student Envoy."

"Oh yes, of course."

Professor McGonagall exhaled and examined Julie's application. "Your grades, Miss Taylor, are… decent, but by no means exceptional. While it's not a requirement for the position that you maintain a certain level of grades, it is unquestionably a deciding factor."

"Oh," Julie said, wringing her hands nervously as she tried to think of an appropriate response. "Well, I would certainly try my hardest--,"

"You don't try your hardest now?" Professor McGonagall questioned with a frown. "If you don't do your best in school, how can we know you wouldn't just push your duties aside like you do your studies?"

"No, I don't push them--,"

"Moving on," Professor McGonagall continued, surveying the application. "You haven't listed any experience with independent study… How do you think you would perform in a position that deals with such an extensive amount of research?"

Julie took a moment to consider her question. She wanted to tell her professor that no matter how difficult the assignment, she would put forth as much effort as she possibly could, but 'I would certainly try my hardest' had not turned out to be such a satisfactory reply. Pressured to say something, she finally mumbled, "Very well, I think."

"Mmm…" Professor McGonagall recorded something brief onto the paper. "That will be all then."

"Oh," Julie said, her shoulders drooping slightly. "All right."

"If you could please send in…" Professor McGonagall glanced down to see who the next applicant was and, closing her eyes, exhaled wearily. "Sirius Black."

"You called?" Sirius sang charmingly, strolling timely into the office.

"Goodbye Professor McGonagall," Julie bid quietly, but her professor's attention was already drawn to her new, admittedly demanding, guest. Frowning, Julie quickly gathered her things and stepped out of the office.

The professor smiled tersely as she motioned for Sirius to sit down. "Ah… Mr. Black, I noticed your application was a bit… different."

Sirius smiled in interest. "Was it?"

Professor McGonagall pulled his application out of a neat pile she had arranged on her desk. Pointing to its edges, she informed him, "Yes. No other student found it necessary to include illustrations."

Sirius smiled as he recalled the brilliant cartoon he had sketched, complete with speech bubbles and sound effects. "What can words tell you, really? I thought it was a very unique and accurate reflection of my character."

Professor McGonagall nodded tiredly. "I cannot argue with that."

…

Outside of the Transfiguration classroom, Julie felt something build up inside of her that she never felt before. All of the frustration she'd endured the past couple of months was finally spilling out, and perhaps it was that which propelled her to kick a large stone pillar with more force than she knew she was capable. She cringed when she realized much too late that her thin shoe was no match for the solid structure, but even the stinging pain rushing through her toes was not enough to keep her mind off her ringing disappointment.

For Julie, the holidays had left her feeling terrible inside, and with no one to confide in. Her mother's charisma had captured easily the hearts of her friends, and beyond Lily and Grace there wasn't anyone who she could confess her aggravations to. It wouldn't have mattered if they were there to comfort her anyway, because each fetching girl had their own unique forte- Lily, having a sharp mind and an adamant set of notions, and Grace, her admiral poise and social proficiency- and neither could ever truly understand. There were times when Julie's shyness and lack of particularity left her feeling more invisible than a ghost, and she was downright sick of it.

The position of Student Envoy was something that would make her stand out among her peers, something that could give her the opportunity to prove her worthiness to everyone- not just to her fellow classmates and her mother, but to herself as well. Unfortunately, her interview had been dreadful; there was no chance she had managed to surpass her peers by any means.

She heard the Transfiguration door creak open, and a few seconds later Sirius walked jovially by, not noticing Julie's slumped figure in the shadows of the hall. Julie felt a sense of urgency soar through her, as it dawned on her that perhaps it wasn't too late to show Professor McGonagall she was more qualified than everyone took her to be. Squaring her shoulders and exhaling deeply, she started determinedly toward her professor's office and forced herself not to look back.

"Miss Taylor?" Professor McGonagall looked up in surprise, peering up from a rather disorderly pile of papers. "Did you need something?"

"No," Julie said, shifting quickly on her feet to contain her burst of vigor. "Well, yes actually. I need to talk to you about the position of Student Envoy--,"

"I'm sorry," the professor said, casting a sidelong glance across her office. Julie looked around briefly, suddenly aware that two important looking Ministry members had joined them in the office. Professor McGonagall gestured them forward and told Julie firmly, "The interviews are over."

Julie adamantly remained where she was, fighting the urge to flee. "I don't believe my interview ever really started," she contradicted shakily.

Professor McGonagall peered at the girl dubiously. "Miss Taylor--,"

"I don't mean any disrespect," Julie persisted, her voice growing firmer, "but of the few questions you did take the time to ask in my interview, I can't say I had the chance to properly answer any."

Professor McGonagall tapped her quill indignantly against her desk, her expression exuding embarrassment and anger at the strangely acting girl's untimely intrusion. "Is that so?"

"It is," Julie maintained. "And you didn't even ask me the most important question of them all."

Professor McGonagall's cheeks flushing faintly as the Ministry members shifted in the doorway. "And that would be?" she asked tightly.

"Professor McGonagall," Julie said, softening her voice and dropping her accusatory tone, speaking instead with quiet, yet fixed conviction. "You asked about my grades and my past achievements, both of which I'll admit are a tad lacking. But… It isn't fair to automatically deduce from my history or natural academic ability that I won't give everything I have to fulfill what I know are thoroughly demanding responsibilities." Locking Professor McGonagall's eyes with her own, Julie continued fervently, "You never asked me _why_ I wanted to be an Envoy. Professor, I'm ready to devote myself wholly to establishing a connection between the Ministry and the student body of Hogwarts. I know what it would take to make such a challenge successful, and I'm so unbelievably ready to prove myself to anyone who questions my capability to do so."

"Are you quite finished?" Professor McGonagall asked, tapping her glasses along the bridge of her nose to peer at the girl before her.

Julie nodded and fought to steady her breathing, which had grown heavy from her heated tirade. "Yes, professor."

"Very well," Professor McGonagall said, motioning to the empty hall behind the watchful Ministry members. "Please close the door on your way out, Miss Taylor. We have a lot to discuss, and any further intrusions would be most undesirable."

…

**A/N**: Well, there it is! The next chapter is going to be _very_ eventful, so stay tuned ; )

Oh by the way… I love and appreciate soo much everyone who has reviewed since I posted the last chapter. You guys rock times one million!

...I would just like to make sure you know James would never ask Lily to do something incredibly raunchy. Someone just brought it to my attention that that is what it looks like...ahh don't worry he's not THAT big of a jerk!


	60. What Are the Odds

Standing There By You

**A/N**: An update in less than two weeks! Madness, I know. I love you all for sticking with my story even after I waited soo long to continue... I hope you enjoy the chapter : )

Ch. 60- What Are the Odds

Lily had gotten herself into quite a pickle. She was usually rather smart, actually, and not just the book smart sort of smart, she was common sense smart and also street smart, which might come as a shock to some. Either way, she could usually hold her own and sense when she was about to do something very stupid; in fact she prided herself in her uncanny ability to do so. When anything involved the Git in Glasses her fortress against obvious idiocy was at least ten times its normal strength, so she did not like the way she had so easily caved in to James's taunting, yet unbelievably winnable gamble. She _very much _did not like the queasy feeling that crawled through her ever since she had discovered she had lost that taunting, yet unbelievably winnable gamble.

"Lily?" Grace asked, chewing her toast and gazing at Lily with a worried sort of frown. "You're rambling in your head again, aren't you."

"No," Lily lied. "I was just thinking."

"Really?" Grace sucked on a jam coated finger. "Well I'm not sure if you're aware, but I have ears. Cute ones, too. Remus likes them a lot."

"Congratulations," Lily said distractedly.

"I have ears," Grace repeated.

"I think we've already established that."

"I have ears," Grace said, more firmly. "And that means I can _listen_. To you. So you don't have to talk to yourself anymore- isn't that grand?"

"Grand," Lily agreed. She looked at her expectant friend. "I don't even remember what I was thinking about. Something about my common sense and my… my street smarts," she said lamely. Out loud it sounded very pathetic.

"You are a common hoodlum," Grace said, wiping her sticky fingers on a crumpled napkin. Searching Lily's distressed expression, she stated knowingly, "You're still thinking about the Student Envoy position."

Lily opened her mouth to protest but couldn't find the strength to concoct a reasonable rebuke. "Sort of. I can't believe Potter snagged it; I don't know _what_ Professor McGonagall was thinking."

"Thinking, or drinking?" Grace queried shrewdly. "I've seen her pack away those whiskeys." She watched as her friend worriedly fiddled with her flask of pumpkin juice. "James isn't going to make you do anything _too _wretched for losing… is he?"

Lily gave a despondent sigh. "Everything about James Potter is wretched, isn't it."

…

Julie never knew it was possible to smile so widely or so genuinely. She felt like a right old fool, smiling the smile she never knew it was possible to smile, but she truly did not care. She was about to enter Professor Fide's classroom, which was empty save three students already sitting and the professor himself. Not just any three students, either. Three notably _excellent_ students, so brilliant and driven that she could nearly feel the radiation of their greatness before she had even reached the classroom.

"Good morning, Julie," Professor Fides bid, smiling at her ecstatic disposition. He motioned to the ornate, unfurled scroll she clutched tightly in her hand. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," she said eagerly. Professor Fides gestured to an empty chair beside the other students, motioning for her to sit as he retreated to the back of the classroom. Before Julie could do so, however, she felt a hand grasp her shoulder and she jumped at the unexpected touch. "James?" she asked, catching her breath. "You startled me."

James gave a quick, apologetic grin. "Very sorry," he said, darting a glance down the nearly empty hallway before returning his attention to the curious girl. "I just wondered… You're going to be in here with the other Envoys for most of the day, right?"

Julie lifted her scroll. "It says we'll miss our classes today, yes." She looked at him inquisitively. "Why?"

"Oh, just curious," James said casually. "Actually, I just wanted to congratulate you. So ah… Congratulations!"

Julie raised her brows dubiously, rightfully suspicious but too happy to care. "Well… Thanks."

"No problem," James said carelessly, ducking out of the classroom and back into the hall.

"What's the verdict?" Sirius asked, pushing himself off the wall he was leaning against and joining his friend.

James gave a mischievous smile. "Julie and the other Envoys are going to be in there all day."

Sirius grinned, shaking his head. "Lily's going to kill you."

"Yes," James agreed. He marveled at his luck. When he had viewed the official posting this morning of all the Student Envoys, he had been particularly disappointed about not being appointed to such an extraordinary position- not to mention it would mean his bet with Lily would be disregarded. But with some quick thinking and deft wand-work, he had managed to change the name from a shimmering 'Julie Taylor' to an even more appealing 'James Potter' before Lily had a chance to view the notice. To be fair, he didn't exactly lie to Lily. If she believed the posting he had… amended in the Gryffindor common room, there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. He smiled. "I've never been more excited for a Charms class."

Sirius looked astounded. "You've been excited for a class before?"

"It's an expression," James told him exasperatedly. He continued talking before Sirius could protest. "This is going to be extraordinary, Sirius, _extraordinary_."

Sirius grinned. "What are you concocting in that evil little brain of yours, Potter?"

James feigned offense, lifting his chin resentfully. "I have an exceptionally large brain, thank you very much. And this exceptionally large brain," he tapped his head for emphasis, "has brewed a plethora of entertaining activities for Ms. Evans to partake in."

Sirius raised a brow. "Wouldn't of thought much of a brain could fit underneath all that hair." He dodged James's rather brutal reply, and put an arm faithfully around his shoulders. "I'm counting on you mate," he told him earnestly. "Things have been dreadfully boring around here lately and a little amusement is dire."

"Don't worry," James assured him, smiling knowingly. "You will certainly be amused."

…

Professor Flitwick swept past the students, sorting through a pile of papers and handing them to their owners along the way. "Where's Julie?" Grace inquired, peering around at all the students when she found her friend wasn't in her usual seat.

Lily shrugged distractedly. "She wasn't in the dormitory when I woke up; I think she got up early."

"Maybe she's sick," Grace frowned. "We'll have to check by the hospital wing after our classes."

Lily nodded as she spotted James walking in the room, smiling cheekily. "I have a feeling I'm going to be a bit ill myself." With much regret she left her things at her seat, heading to the back of the classroom to meet him.

"Hello," James said cheerfully. Lily glared at him. "Ah ah," he reproved. "No grumpiness on James Potter day."

"Just tell me what I have to do," Lily demanded. "Class is about to start." Realizing the twisted boy before her had a lot of power over her at that very moment, she forcibly added a feeble, "please."

"Ah Evans, don't you pay attention? I've already told you what's going to happen today."

"You told me it was James Potter Has Boundless Power Over Lily Evans Day. You didn't go into details."

"True," James admitted, nodding. He paused for a moment, surveying her anxious expression. Her prominent green eyes were shining with a poorly masked fear, a vast difference from the annoyance that usually danced through them whenever he was in her presence. James tugged at his hair uncertainly. "I, er…"

"Seats please," Professor Flitwick called squeakily from the front of the classroom.

"I guess it'll have to be a surprise," James said finally.

Lily grimaced, looking as if she wanted to protest but didn't want to succumb to pleading with the boy she so detested. She reluctantly turned around, heading back to her seat and darting suspicious glances at James along the way. When James returned to his own seat, Sirius looked at him expectantly. "Well? Did you cast a spell on her? I don't see any warts--,"

"Soon," James assured his eager friend. "I've got her paranoid and on edge, and when she least expects it-- wham!"

"Wham!" Peter repeated gleefully. "I love James Potter Has Boundless Power Over Lily Evans Day."

Remus gave a reproachful sigh from James's other side. "And what might your problem be?" James asked, lowering his voice now that Professor Flitwick had begun his instructions for their upcoming assignment.

"Nothing," he said in a voice that clearly indicated he did not mean it. "Well, a week ago you were preoccupied with tricking Lily into believing you would be a decent date to Hogsmeade, and now you're--,"

"First of all, I would not need to _trick_ Lily into thinking I would be a good date to Hogsmeade; I happen to think I would make an excellent companion."

"Last I checked," Remus said, "You were trying to get her to go with you just to prove you could in fact _get _her, and then you were planning on ditching her and joining us for a celebratory drink in the Three Broomsticks. That doesn't exactly cry out Prince Charming, you know."

…

"I would like to begin by congratulating each of you," Professor Fides said with a smile, pulling a chair to the front of the room and sitting a few feet before the students. "It is an extraordinary opportunity and privilege to be a Student Envoy. The Headmaster put me in charge of organizing the program, so you'll be reporting to me numerous times next year; in the meantime I'll be here to answer any of your questions. In case you don't know one another- you're each in a different house and of varying grades- I'll take a moment to introduce you. Ah… to begin, Mr. Brennan Cabrera of Ravenclaw; sixth year, I believe."

Julie's heart skipped a beat when she heard Professor Fides announce the boy's name. Glancing down the row, her concern was confirmed when she recognized the boy as the one who had cornered her a bit drunkenly and very forcibly at her mother's Christmas Extravaganza. He waved to the group and thankfully seemed to have forgotten his encounter with Julie, paying her no special attention.

Julie re-focused on Professor Fides when she heard him say her name aloud. "Hello," she said softly, giving a small wave, and Professor Fides moved on to introduce Rosalie Diamond of Hufflepuff and Graham Young of Slytherin.

…

"Now," Sirius willed James anxiously, prodding him with his wand. "Make her do something now, she's not looking."

"What?" James asked, looking in the direction Sirius was pointing and finding Lily hunched over her assignment. "No, no Sirius… just trust me."

Sirius exhaled disappointedly. "How can I _trust _you?" he asked dramatically. "You've had plenty of opportunities to do something, and you've yet to act on any of them!"

"In due time, my friend," James assured him, turning back to his own assignment. This consisted of a large clay pot and a bucket of water; they were currently perfecting their Drought Spells.

"Oh, oh, I've got an idea," Sirius said eagerly. "Turn her clay pot into a dozen fairies and then make her perform a--,"

"Sirius," James said tiredly, muttering a spell and watching as the water leaped into the air and evaporated instantaneously. "_Trust_ me."

…

Professor Fides leaned backward and snatched a pile of papers from his desk. "Here are your tentative schedules," he said, handing each student several papers. "Keep in mind that they're subject to change once you are paired with an official at the Ministry."

"Professor Fides," Graham Young, a fifth year Slytherin, spoke up. He scanned the schedule. "It says here we don't start until next year?"

Julie discreetly surveyed the boy sitting beside her. She was a bit apprehensive to work with a Slytherin, especially from their sour history at Hogwarts. All she knew about Graham from the classes they took together was that he was immensely sharp witted, but unusually soft spoken- for a Slytherin, anyway. From where she sat, a tuft of caramel colored hair falling down his forehead blocked her view of his eyes, usually the best indicator to tell whether someone was cold or friendly.

"Ah yes," Professor Fides said, pointing at the schedule. "The Student Envoy program begins next school year, but we're supposed to take some time to prep you in these last remaining months." He motioned to Julie and Graham. "We don't want to interfere with your O.W.L.s; you'll need all the time you can get to study for those buggers."

Brennan and Rosalie laughed appreciatively, only too familiar with the torturous tests. From the other side of the room, the former caught Julie's eye and looked at her curiously, as if trying to pin where he'd heard her name before. Julie quickly looked away; it had only been a little over a _month_ since he had kissed her at her mother's… How many girls must he of kissed since then to have already forgotten hers?

Remembering his forcefulness and that terrible, assumptive grin, Julie decided that she very much would rather that he did not remember her after all.

…

"What's the matter with him?" Lily demanded to know, looking at Sirius, Remus, and Peter inquisitively as they made their way out of History of Magic. "Why hasn't he made me do anything yet?"

"You're asking the wrong person," Sirius said grumpily. "If it were up to me you'd be doing the tango with Professor Binns right now."

"Thanks," Lily replied, crossing her arms in concern. Remus raised a brow at the atypical response. "I just hate the suspense," Lily explained, "I can't stand feeling so paranoid all day long." She glanced up the hallway, and then back at Sirius. "Where is he, anyway?"

"Who knows," Sirius sighed. "We usually go out on the grounds for our free period, but he seems to have scampered away." Glancing down the hall, he declared, "I'm going to go look for him." With a look of determination, he hurried to search their normal places, but to no avail. Finally he decided to attempt their dormitory, despite the fact that it was immensely out of the way. He pushed open the door and walked in, expecting to find his friend taking a nap or something of the sort, but found the room disappointedly empty. He was about to turn around and search another part of the castle, when he spotted James's bag haphazardly thrown across his bed. Glancing across the room, he noticed the closet door was slightly ajar and a slight rustling noise could be distinguished after a few moments of careful listening. Smiling triumphantly, Sirius hopped onto James's bed and waited to catch his friend before he could slip away again.

Bouncing a bit too hard onto the bed, Sirius caused James's bag to fall over the edge and the many papers to fly messily about the room. Sirius shook his head at his friend's untidiness, bending down to pick up the scattered assignments and scrap pieces of parchment. In the middle of stuffing a History of Magic essay back into one of the bag's pockets, something peculiar etched on the back made Sirius stop. The familiar shape of a snitch was easily discernable, but the letters inside are what confounded him. Looking back into the bag and pulling out the contents he had just recovered, he found the same thing sketched repeatedly on one scrap of parchment after another.

"Oh, hey Sirius," James said, appearing in the doorframe of their closet.

"L.E.," Sirius read aloud, frowning. "L.E., L.E., L.E.--,"

James froze, alarm gleaming blatantly in his suddenly very wide eyes. "Give those to me," he demanded, stepping forward.

Sirius pulled the papers out of his reach, even more curious than he was before. "There aren't any seekers in our division with those initials," he said, mostly to himself. "L.E… Oh, ha! You know who I just thought of?"

"It's… I have a friend-- Leonard Euff… Euffbanks--,"

"Lily Evans," Sirius continued, laughing. "Ha! It looks like you have Lily bloody Evans's initials scribbled over all of your possessions--,"

"Ha!" James said much, much too exuberantly. He cleared his throat anxiously, attempting to mask his excessive response. "That's -ha- that's funny -ha- you… you are very, very funny…"

Sirius's laughter trailed off, and his eyes narrowed at his curiously acting friend. After a few moments of his suspicious scrutiny and James's awkward laughter, he leaned forward disbelievingly. "No," he said in a hushed, incredulous whisper.

"No," James agreed, shaking his head fervently.

An expression of immense disbelief remained frozen on Sirius's face, only to be broken a minute or so later by an enormous bout of laughter. "Oh Merlin," he managed, turning red from the lack of oxygen. "You fancy Lily!"

"Shut up," James demanded, feeling his cheeks burn pink. "I do _not_, all right, I don't--,"

"Lily Evans, James!" Sirius howled, finding it hard to breathe. "Oh, this is precious--,"

"_Shut up_," James said, and when the command went unheeded, he lunged forward and endeavored to snatch the papers from his friend's hands.

Sirius lifted the parchment high into the air, struggling to hold onto it while James clobbered him to the ground. "I can just see it now," Sirius expounded lavishly. "You and Lily with dozens of messy red-headed children--,"

"Put a sock in it," James said, rolling onto the ground as Sirius got the better of him; he ducked and reached for his foot, looking like he very much did not mean for the expression to be metaphorical.

Sirius's laughter continued, unaffected by James's threat. "Who would've--,"

"Hello?" Grace called from the doorway, waving her hands to get the wrestling boys' attention. Sirius's laughter ceased, but a wide smile still lingered. James tensed, watching the girl take in the scene with amusement and peer at a parchment that Sirius held up with interest. "What's that?" she asked curiously.

James seemed unable to move. This could have been, perhaps, due to the boy who had pinned him onto the ground. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Sirius taunted.

Grace grinned and stepped forward. "I would. Go on, let me see it."

James's grip tightened dangerously on Sirius's shoulders. "Hmm…" Sirius deliberated slowly. "I--,"

Grace leaped over to the boys, hovering above them and snatching the paper out of Sirius's hand before he had a chance to realize what was happening. "No!" he said, grabbing the parchment hastily, ripping it in half by doing so but successfully gaining the part with the incriminating evidence. Grace leaned forward to view the parchment herself, its contents easily visible. Before she could, however, Sirius balled up the parchment expertly and stuffed it into his mouth. "Mmm…" he mumbled.

Grace made a face. "You're disgusting," she told him. Sighing, she backed off. "I probably didn't want to know anyway. If either of you see Remus, tell him I'm going to the grounds." Giving them one last mystified look, she disappeared out the door and down the staircase.

James looked up at his friend, who still had him pinned to the floor. "Thanks."

"No problem," Sirius said, spitting out the paper and rising off the ground. "Ah…" He licked his lips. "The taste of young love."

James grimaced. "I really_ don't _fancy her," he insisted.

"All right," Sirius said, gesturing toward the door. "Then go claim your part of the bet."

James stood up and straightened his robes, fully prepared to gain back the severe amount of dignity of which he had recently been robbed. "I will," he vowed, striding toward the door. "And it'll be _excellent_."

…

The first part of his presentation concluded, Professor Fides dismissed the students for an early lunch. Julie gathered her things and headed toward the door, wondering if her friends would be finished with their classes in time to meet her for a bite to eat.

"Juliana!" a voice called behind her. Turning around, Julie found Rosalie heading toward her and waving a sheet of parchment. "You forgot this," she said, holding it out for her. "It is Juliana, right?"

"Oh, I usually go by Julie. Thanks," she smiled, accepting what she found to be her forgotten schedule.

Rosalie smiled back, and Julie discovered the girl had no trouble living up to her name. From her plush lips to her glowing cheeks, and even her strawberry blonde hair, everything about Rosalie was, well, rosy. "I can't want until next year," she said, falling into stride with Julie. "I was terrified I wouldn't make it-- I've only been Prefect for a year and I wasn't even ranked first in my class last semester."

Julie bit her lip. She was nowhere _near_ those things. "I was pretty nervous too," she said honestly.

Slipping her schedule into her pocket, Rosalie leaned toward Julie and confided, "I wasn't too keen about the idea of spending heaps of time with a Slytherin, either."

Julie nodded fervently. "Right, you would think Dumbledore would know--,"

"--that they're all rabid and have a tendency to bite when they're hungry."

Both girls jumped when they turned around and saw Graham Young nodding knowingly behind them. Rosalie smiled sheepishly, and Julie gaped at the amused Slytherin. "It's all right," he whispered to her with a smile. "I was only joking."

"Oh," Julie jolted from her spell. "I know, I just…"

"Don't worry about it," Graham told her, "I know my house doesn't have the best reputation here at Hogwarts. If I promise not to bite, could I join you for lunch?"

Both girls laughed and, taking this as an affirmative response, Graham joined Julie's unoccupied side. Julie smiled and decided maybe Slytherins weren't so bad after all.

…

"I'm going to go insane," Lily contended, running her hands roughly through her hair. "Why isn't he making me do anything?"

"Your troubles are over," Grace comforted her friend, pointing to the boy who was walking determinedly toward them. Sirius followed not too far behind James, looking highly amused.

Lily rose from her lax position on the grass and turned to face James, squaring her shoulders. "Potter," she acknowledged with a brave nod.

James nodded curtly. "Evans."

Lily stared at him pointedly, tapping her foot. "Well," she prompted impatiently. "What will it be?"

"I, well--," he crossed his arms uncertainly, watching Lily's expression go from impatient to confused. "Ah…"

Lily arched her brow. "Hello?" she waved her hand in front of his face.

"Hi," James responded, grinning suddenly. "You know, I'm going to let this one slide."

Lily's mouth dropped open in a shock she was unable to conceal. She quickly covered it up and stared at James suspiciously. "What've you got hidden up your sleeve, Potter?"

"Nothing," James said, distinctly ignoring the large grin growing on Sirius's mouth. "You owe me one."

While Lily's suspicion still remained, relief softened her features noticeably. "Well, thanks…" she said slowly, still looking utterly confused. "But why?"

"Ah, well you know," James said, ducking his head and smiling in an attempt to showcase his modesty. "Just trying to be a good--," he cut off as he saw Julie bounding toward them, a smile on her face. "Well, gotta go," James said suddenly, giving Lily one last grin. He spun around and started quickly toward the school, dragging his amused friend with him.

"_I_ know why you didn't make her do anything," Sirius informed him, tapping his head perceptively.

"Yeah, well…" James stared ahead at the school's entrance as they continued to walk hastily forward, searching for an appropriate response. Finding none, he turned toward Sirius and promised, "You tell anyone and I'll curse you to the moon."

Sirius nodded. "Fair enough."

…

"Hey Lily," Julie greeted happily, perching on a tree stump beside her friend.

"Hello," Lily returned slowly, looking perplexed. "Oh," she said, suddenly remembering her friend's mysterious absence that morning. "Where have you been all day?"

"I--," Julie cut off, noticing her friend's peculiar expression. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," said Lily, sighing. "Just Potter."

"Ah, being his usual irritating self?" Julie asked with a smile.

"No, actually… Quite the opposite. He earned the Student Envoy position," Lily explained. "And that was _supposed_ to mean he won our bet; he had the chance to make me do anything today, but he didn't take advantage of it at all."

Julie raised her brows in wonder. "Lily," she said, smiling slightly. "James didn't win the Envoy position."

"What?" Lily asked sharply. "Then who did?"

"Well, _I_ did."

Lily stared at her friend in silence. Suddenly she began laughing, lowering herself beside her friend and smiling widely. "Right, Julie. Thanks for trying to make me feel better."

Julie narrowed her eyes in confusion, watching her friend laugh at the idea of her being Student Envoy. Before she could respond to this, she was cut off as Grace bounced in front of her and pulled her into a colossal hug. "Congratulations!" she proclaimed, pulling away from Julie and staring at her friend with a wide smile. "Remus just told me."

"Thanks," Julie replied quietly.

Grace plopped between Lily and Julie. Glancing at Lily, she asked, "Isn't this grand? Our very own Julie Taylor as Student Envoy. Better than James, eh Lily?"

Julie answered for her friend. "She found it very amusing, actually," she said matter-of-factly, standing up. "I should start heading back."

"Wait," Lily said, quickly standing up beside her. "You- you really--,"

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Julie asked with a wry smile.

"Julie…" Lily breathed ruefully, feeling wretched. "I didn't-- I'm really sorry--,"

"It's all right," Julie assured her, a true smile replacing her sardonic one. "I was immensely surprised myself, believe me."

"Can you believe Potter took you for such a ride?" Grace said, shaking her head. "What a dingbat."

Lily reddened at this comment, but continued to focus on Julie. "Are you sure it's all right? I really didn't mean…"

"It's fine," Julie assured her, glancing toward the school and motioning toward Lily. "What are you waiting for? Go get 'em."

Lily nodded her head firmly. "I most definitely will."

…

"Pottter!"

"I think she knows," Sirius unnecessarily whispered to his friend.

James grimaced and turned around. "You screamed?"

"Justly so," Lily said hotly, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at James. "How could you--,"

"How could I what?" James asked. "I didn't do anything."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "You know as well as I do that isn't true. You switched Julie's name to yours on the posting and made me believe you won the bet--,"

"And then I did nothing," James finished for her, shrugging. "Right?"

"Well yes," Lily admitted, "but I… I--," she folded her arms confoundedly as she searched for an adequate rebuke. "_Urgh_," she said finally, "I loathe you, James Potter. I loathe you, even for doing nothing." With that she turned on her heel, storming back down the hallway.

Sirius assessed the situation, nodding. "You are quite the charmer, James."

-

**A/N:** Sorry it was so long, I couldn't find a good place to end and my fingers just kept typing... hehe. Well thanks again for the reviews, you know I love 'em!


	61. Uncouth Entertainment

Standing There By You

Chapter 61- Uncouth Entertainment

Disclaimer: It isn't mine. Specifically taken from JKR's fifth book, etc.

A/N: Hello! I was overjoyed to see some of my very old reviewers return- I missed you all terribly- and some new readers too! This will be the last chapter of their fifth year while in Hogwarts, but they are headed toward a very interesting summer. Thanks for returning : )

…

"I _hate_ decisions," Grace proclaimed, tossing a dozen pamphlets into the air and dramatically leaning backwards. She was currently lounging about their fairly occupied common room with Julie and Remus, sorting through the pamphlets Professor McGonagall had provided for their future career possibilities.

Remus grimaced, thinking of the potential paper cuts. "It isn't that bad," he attempted to persuade her.

Julie leaned over and snatched a pamphlet that had fallen onto Grace's nose. "I think it's kind of fun," she said, reading the title and giggling. "A Plimpy Pulverizer? What kind of a job is that?"

"It's pointless, that's what it is," Grace decided, rolling onto her stomach and propping a borrowed chair cushion underneath her chin. "I don't plan on continuing with one job my entire life, anyway. I'll take the opportunities as they come."

"Come on," Remus prompted, picking up a pamphlet and bopping her affectionately on the head. "You have to have something to tell McGonagall."

Julie shifted through the many parchments. "What are you going to tell her, Remus?"

Before he could respond, Grace crawled onto her knees and faced Julie. "He's going to be a writer," she asserted proudly. "He'll be a household name for generations to come."

"I don't know about that," Remus laughed, but a distinct look of excitement at the idea contrasted his diffidence.

"Well, here goes nothing," Grace said, gathering the pamphlets into a pile and closing her eyes. She stretched her hand out and blindly selected one from the middle. Opening her eyes, she read, "Become a life coach and help others trounce hurdles and stomp out their impediments, exposing them to a truly gratifying lifestyle. Wonderful," she said, flipping open the booklet and examining its contents. "Julie," She stared at her friend with an overly concerned expression. "Are you the person you truly want to be? Do everyday obstacles seem to be escalating to unmanageable proportions?"

Julie shook her head, grinning. "I will not be your test subject," she told her firmly.

Grace spun around to face Remus. "Are you neglecting your personal needs--,"

"Nope," Remus said simply, shaking his head. "And I'm not going to be your test subject either."

"I can't believe you two," Grace sighed disappointedly. "You badger me to my wit's end about finding a career, and then when I finally discover my true aspiration, my long-term determination, my--,"

"You picked a parchment with your eyes closed," Julie reminded her. "Besides, you would need someone really nettled, someone so bonkers they could teeter off edge at any moment--,"

The three students jumped when the Portrait slammed open and Lily stormed through, her eyes glowing angrily. Grace smile. "Perfect."

"Do you know what they were doing?" Lily demanded, not waiting for a response. "Walking down the Potions corridor, I find three first years scrambling down the hall and screaming their poor little heads off. A pair of _gargoyles_ had been charmed to chase them across the school!"

Grace stood up, glancing between Lily and the pamphlet she held fanned out in her hand. "Breathe in… Breathe out…" she instructed gently, waving her hands in exuberant circles.

Lily stared at her friend, momentarily deterred from her rant. "What?"

"I'm your new life coach," Grace informed her. "I'm going to lead you toward a life of serenity and self-absolution."

"Splendid," Lily said distractedly, turning toward Remus. "Any ideas about the counter-spell? I have a few, but I'm not sure how to catch the gargoyles so I can re-freeze them."

Remus stood up, nodding. "I think the book they used is still in the dormitory."

"You _knew_ they were planning this?"

"Calm voice, Lily," Grace guided gently.

Remus grimaced. "I- well, I might've overheard--,"

"Remus," Lily sighed, dropping her accusatory tone. "I'm not the only Prefect here," she reminded him wearily. "It would help very much if you could remember that."

"I know," Remus frowned, nodding. "I just-- Ah, I'll go get the book."

…

"I've been thinking," James said, twirling his wand between his fingers as he ascended the staircase that led to his dormitory. "And I'm pretty sure I've decided on a nickname." He grinned proudly. "_Prongs_."

Sirius tilted his head, considering. "Not bad."

"Not bad? It's _brilliant_. It establishes my masculinity while detailing the strong stag raging inside of me."

"Right," Sirius smirked, hopping up the last several stairs. "I still think you should call me Stealth Master."

James shook his head. "Don't count on it." The boys entered their dormitory and found Remus searching through a pile of books stacked on his desk. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Studying for O.W.L.s already?"

"Already?" Remus asked. "They're in a week." Remus smirked at his friend's casual shrug; he had woken up a few weeks ago to a light shining from James's desk, and the boy hunched over a mass of textbooks he must've borrowed from the library. He might have mounds of natural talent, but he needed to study like every other student that strived for excellence.

"James," Sirius said, "the Stealth Master has everything to do with my Animagus form; when I'm that great canine I can steal about, expertly unnoticed. Those paws are silent instruments of shrewdness-- here we go, I'll be The One with Padded Feet Who Carries Out Acts of Supreme--,"

"I think you need to shorten it," James suggested. "Padded Feet… Pad--,"

"Padfoot," Sirius decided. "I'm not plural."

James nodded. "It works." He tipped his head in Sirius's direction. "Monsieur Padfoot."

"Monsieur Prongs," Sirius returned lavishly, grinning. "Excellent."

"Oy, Monsieur Whatsyourfaces," Remus beckoned, earning disgusted looks from his comrades. "If neither of you are planning on studying anytime soon, would you mind giving me some tips on how to catch a pair of unruly gargoyles?"

James laughed. "Brilliant, aren't they? We can be sure those spawns of Slytherin will never again take the last crescent roll when Sirius and I are around. They thought they were so sneaky…"

"The roll was on _their _table," Remus protested, shaking his head. "Besides, Lily didn't think the prank was so 'brilliant'."

"Oh, she saw it then?" James asked, unable to conceal an eager grin. "I bet she was floored by my clever charming skills."

"Hardly," Remus assured him. "Anyway, the counter-spell?" he asked hopefully.

"Not necessary," said Sirius. "The spell will wear off on its own in fifteen hours or so. Those first years were looking a bit pudgy anyway, the exercise will do them good."

…

"Grace," Lily said tiredly, reluctantly shifting her concentration from the large textbook laid out before her to a long piece of parchment entitled _My Obstacles and How to Conquer Them_. "I want to help you with your newfound dream, I really do. I just can't manage it until after O.W.L.s are over; History of Magic is tomorrow and my review has barely reached the A.D.s."

"That's exactly why you need to embrace this serene opportunity. This would be the perfect outlet for your frustrations so that only your sense and intelligence are left by test day."

Lily sighed. "If I agree will you leave me be?"

"Certainly," said Grace happily. "First thing's first. We have to establish the chief obstacle that is preventing you from leading a harmonic lifestyle."

"You have to ask?" Lily said dryly.

"Ah, right," Grace said, picking up her quill and writing 'James Potter' in big print across the top of the list. She peered at Lily. "What is it about him exactly that vexes you so?"

"What _isn't_ it about him that vexes me so?" Lily amended.

Grace clicked her tongue. "The sooner you cooperate, the sooner you can get back do your studying…"

"His arrogance," Lily began, ticking off a finger. "His assumptive grin, his hair, his egocentric attitude, his disregard for anything and anyone beside himself and his precious sidekick--,"

"Hold on, hold on," Grace entreated, scribbling furiously. "I can only write so quickly." After she finished writing Lily's seemingly endless list of James Potter atrocities, she held the paper up and dangled it in front of Lily. "Burn it," she instructed.

Lily laughed. "Grace, we're in the library. I can't just _burn_--,"

"Madame Pince isn't even looking," Grace prompted. "Go on."

Lily looked torn between risking the wrath of Madame Pince and the further putting off of her studies. Giving an exasperated sigh, she asked, "You'll put it out right away?"

Grace nodded. "I have my wand ready to send it straight to ashes."

Looking like she was going to very much regret it, Lily waved her wand and whispered "_Incendio_".

Grace smiled proudly. "There," she said, keeping an eye on the tiny flame that swallowed up the bottom edge of the parchment as she reached for her wand. "Now don't you feel-- oh, ah..."

"Grace!" Lily hissed frantically. She watched as the once tiny flame licked the edge of a large textbook beneath it, inciting a rapid spread of flames across the parchment-littered table. Grace's eyes widened as the fire crept up the parchment she was still holding and, panicking, she whipped it as far away from her as possible. Unfortunately, this happened to be directly onto a cart of neatly piled novels and encyclopedias. Lily's mouth dropped open as she watched the cart immediately erupt into a mass of flames; before she could reach for her wand and conjure a flame-freezing spell, Madame Pince's piercing scream echoed across the library as the stricken lady came sprinting toward them.

Grace cringed. "Oops."

…

Julie spotted her two friends standing by the library entrance. She bounded toward them but came to a screeching halt when she took in their rather peculiar appearances. "Whoa," she said, gaping at her friends. "I… whoa."

Lily wrapped her hair around her hand, squeezing tightly. A shower of water droplets descended onto the ground, merely adding to the large puddle already accumulated around her feet.

Grace smiled meekly, wringing out her own robes. "The library got a little heated… heh," she explained to Julie. Turning to Lily, she said, "Madame Pince didn't seem too angry."

"Yes," Lily said dazedly. "After blasting the fire _and_ us with surging streams of water and banning us from the library for eternity, I'd say she was rather pleasant."

Grace nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Everything really worked out all right--,"

"Grace!" Lily cried, her green eyes glowing dangerously against her pale, drenched skin. "I've been banned from the library the _day _before O.W.L.s begin! I've earned detention a month into next year and, and-- I'm _soggy_. Everything is not all right!"

"Yes," Grace said timidly, prodding Lily with an optimistic punch on the shoulder. "But… I bet you forgot about James, didn't you?"

"Ah," Julie squeaked, clutching Lily's wrists as they raised conveniently toward Grace's neck. "Listen Lily, I'm sure everything will work out… Grace was only trying to help."

"My life coach makes me want to kill myself," Lily said, crossing her arms.

Julie tried not to laugh. "You have to admit, Lily," she began, attempting to repair the situation. "James Potter does seem to give you an awful lot of unnecessary headaches. Grace might of went about it an… unusual way, but the idea of learning to ignore his antics isn't such a bad one."

Grace nodded vigorously. "Exactly."

Lily sighed, swinging her shoe across the tile and cringing when it made a distinct sloshing noise. "Okay," she said finally, exhaling. "You guys are right. I'm not going to let him bother me anymore, no matter what he does."

"Great," Julie smiled.

Grace beamed at her friend. "Wonderful."

"I'm going to go change out of these waterlogged robes," Lily said, stepping forward to climb the appropriate staircase. "I'll see you later… happy and Potter-carefree!"

"See you!" her friends called cheerfully.

"I give her a day before she implodes," Grace mumbled to Julie.

Julie shook her head. "She won't make it through the evening."

…

Much to their surprise, Lily did make it through the evening and even into the next day, although she had to practice extreme self-control on multiple occasions. It was significant and unexpected progress, and her friends were rather proud. They had gathered by the lake for a celebratory dip of their toes into the cool, inviting water, after a particularly draining Defense Against the Dark Arts examination.

"Mmm…" said Grace, letting her feet dangle in the water as she leaned backwards into the warm, soft grass. "I can practically taste summer."

"Five days until the holidays," Julie said wistfully. "These tests are torturous when it's so lovely outside."

Lily inhaled, reveling in the warmness. "At least…" she trailed off and her friends looked at her expectantly. Following her gaze to find what had caught her attention, they saw a crowd gathering a short distance from their spot on the bank of the lake. "What's going on?" she wondered aloud .

Grace shrugged, looking curious. She opened her mouth to ask several girls running past them if they knew what happening, but they were too hurried and giggly to notice. "James Potter and Severus Snape," someone informed them simply, their voice oddly nonchalant compared to the heavy commotion of the nearby scene. Turning around, the girls viewed Graham Young and Rosalie Diamond, Julie's fellow Envoys, approaching them. "What else is new?" the boy finished lightly.

Rosalie looked down at Julie. "Professor Fides asked me to tell everyone that he's holding a brief meeting before school lets out," said Rosalie. "Spread the word if you spot Brennan later."

"Oh, all right," Julie nodded. She waved goodbye as Rosalie departed; Graham looked as if he was going to follow her, but at the last moment he lingered behind, kneeling down next to Julie.

Dipping his fingertips into the cool water, he said, "It'll be a real relief once O.W.L.s are over, won't it?"

"Yes," Julie ardently agreed. "I can't wait for the holidays."

"What exactly is Potter doing?" Lily asked, pressing her hands onto the ground and lifting herself up to have a better view.

"Ah, ah," Grace chided, drawing Lily back into a sitting position. "You're not to be bothered with him, remember?"

"What?" Lily asked distractedly. "Oh… right."

"Any plans for the summer?" Graham asked casually, abandoning the water and plucking at the grass instead.

"No, nothing too out of the ordinary," Julie said, shrugging. "I stay in a town that isn't the most eventful of places. It's nice though; quiet."

"They're double-teaming him," Lily said under her breath, still straining to see what was happening. "Oh!" Her cheeks flushed red with anger. "Did you see what he just did?"

"Ah," Graham nodded. "Well maybe I'll write you. You know, liven things up a bit."

Julie smiled. "That would be greatly appreciated," she told him earnestly. Graham smiled back and released the blades of grass he had collected, brushing his hand on his robes and nodding his head toward Julie as he departed back toward the school.

"Lily…" Grace warned, standing up beside her friend. "Sit back down. Go on, you've made it _so_ far…"

Julie stood up to join her friends. "Look, they're only teasing him… ooh," she cut off, cringing when James hurled a rather brutal hex at Severus.

"That's it!" Lily seethed, slipping out of her friends' hold on her and rushing toward the tumultuous affair.

"Lily…" Her friends watched as she adamantly stormed across the grounds, attempting fruitlessly to detain her.

"Leave him ALONE!"

Grace heaved a sigh, flopping back onto the ground in defeat. "That's it," she surrendered. "Being a life coach is not for me. I've always liked flowers and greenery; perhaps I'll take up gardening."

"Don't give up so quickly," Julie encouraged, keeping a worried eye on Lily. "Maybe you just need an easier client."

"Hmm…" Grace looked at her friend intently. "All right, Miss Taylor. If I'm going to help you lead a life of true bliss, we'll first have to concoct a plan to stop pesky Slytherins from doting upon you shamelessly."

Julie pulled her gaze away from the scene across the lake and looked at her friend confusedly. "We… what?"

"Any plans for the summer? Maybe I'll write you, liven it up a bit," Grace mimicked in a deep, suave voice, nudging her friend meaningfully.

"You're right," Julie said, nodding. "You should be a gardener."

-

"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"

"James," Remus cautioned softly, at last deserting his book.

"What?" James thundered. His eyes shone madly as a large, callous grin inched across his face. Severus squirmed furiously, as if he could somehow escape the invisible strings holding him upside-down.

"I do!" Peter shouted his opinion eagerly, rapping against the tree in laughter. He had been the recent victim of one of Severus's invented hexes; the present role reversal pleased him greatly. A multitude of onlookers joined in and savagely hooted their agreement.

Remus stood up to better gain James's attention. "Come on, James," he attempted vainly. "I… I think lunch should be starting soon. Let's go."

James's eyes met Severus's; he held the trapped boy's gaze tauntingly while he twirled his wand in deliberation, his blatant hatred reflected and countered. The excitement of the crowd and the fury raging inside of him defeated Remus's futile pleas by a long shot. "Sorry, Remus," said James, flicking his wand. "Majority rules."

"Ahh!" A piercing scream drowned out the raucous uproar of the surrounding students after James indeed fulfilled his promise. Severus crashed onto the ground as someone mumbled the counter-curse- James turned around to see it was Sirius who discreetly had. He needn't ask why, however, as the source of the scream came rushing behind them. "What-- Merlin--," Professor McGonagall sputtered, covering her eyes rather childishly as Severus nearly tripped over himself in his haste to pull back on any… missing apparel.

"We don't know what's wrong with him," said James sorrowfully, expertly masking the harsh tone he had previously employed. He subtly slipped his wand out of sight and into his pocket. "We tried to stop him--,"

"For the common good," Sirius added, shaking his head. "The students will have nightmares for weeks! O.W.L.s should be cancelled."

Professor McGonagall looked immensely flustered. "Mister Snape?" she said, hardly believing the boys' remarks and peering at the now (mercifully) fully-clothed boy.

Severus's normally pale complexion had for once gained color; he ducked his crimson face as he scrambled to stand up, stalking away before Professor McGonagall had a chance to question him further. Sirius shook his head. "He should _not_ be allowed around children."

…

**A/N**: Sooo yep, that was 'Snape's Worst Memory' from OotP, but mostly from the perspective of the girls 'sitting, with their shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water'. When I first read that oh-so-wonderful chapter of J.K.R.'s I immediately thought, Whoa baby James would _never _actually go through with the last part of the prank… eek. But I guess if it truly is Snape's worst memory then it must've been pretty terrible… I mean, Remus said people got turned upside-down all the times in the halls, so it wouldn't have been anything out of the ordinary if James hadn't of well, gone through with his ah… exposing promise.

P.S.- Sincerely sorry for any visuals this chapter might've spurred.

P.P.S.- I know this was short. The next one will be long and yummy though, no worries!


	62. Committed Companions

Standing There By You

Chapter 62- Committed Companions

**A/N**: Heyheyhey : ) This is the first chapter of the summer, hope you enjoy!

…

'_Oh bother,' said James, lingering beneath the doorframe of his kitchen and sighing. 'I can't even enjoy a simple breakfast anymore.'_

'_Slurpgh,' the squid responded, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. It was clearly not built for tentacles._

'_I'm going to have to hex you,' James informed the squid. It responded with a lift of its tentacles in a sort of shrug, slurping up the last piece of bacon. _

'_Dear,' Mrs. Potter called, smiling sympathetically. 'The sooner you can remove your things from your room, the better. Mr. Squid and Lily need a place to stay!'_

_James stepped back in surprise as he turned to look at the squid and, sure enough, Lily had appeared next to him, donning an elaborate wedding gown and staring at him sternly. 'Where's our wedding present?' she demanded._

_James stared at her, speechless. 'I- I'm sorry,' he sputtered._

'_Sqmouf,' remarked the squid, and Lily laughed heartily. _

'_Good one,' she commended. James huffed and strode toward the squid._

'_Well,' James said, 'what have you got to say for yourself?' He blanched. 'Stop slobbering,' he commanded, wiping off the spittle disgustedly. James felt another drop hit his eye. 'I said stop--,'_

James swiped at his face furiously. Opening his eyes, he found that he was not in his kitchen at all, but rather involved in a massive tangle of his sheets. Another drop of liquid hit him and as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he discovered that it wasn't squid spit after all, but rather rain that was streaming in through his open window. "Oh," James said, utterly disorientated. He leaned against his headboard, wondering at his peculiar dream, when a thought struck him that brought him back to reality. It had been raining when he went to bed, and he distinctly remembered _shutting_ his window.

James went stock still when he saw a blurry, dark figure looming outside his window. He reached his hand out and grappled soundlessly for his glasses, but in his haste he knocked them off the table and onto the ground below the window. "Who's there?" he demanded, fighting to keep his voice forceful and courageous. His question was drowned out by the pouring rain and his visitor failed to answer, instead placing his hands on the sill of the window and lifting one foot into the opening as he prepared to climb inside.

James sprung to his feet; having no time to find his wand he instead fell into a defensive stance, prepared to knock the gillywigs out of his intruder. Cursing his poor vision, he strained to decipher the shape as it worked its way into his room. Finding no other options, James let loose a thunderous 'Arrrgh!' as he stormed toward the intruder and it immediately fell backwards, off balance because one of its legs had made it into his room while the other had not.

The force of James's blow caused them both to go tumbling onto the ground. "Blimey hell!" a boy's voice shouted from beneath him. James rubbed his eyes, trying hard to focus on the boy he presently lay on top of.

"Sirius?" James asked in awe. Spotting his glasses lying nearby, he shoved them on and saw that it was indeed his best mate.

"'Ello," said Sirius gruffly.

James pressed his hands against the floor and rose to his knees, staring down at his dripping wet friend. "What are you doing here?" he implored.

Sirius shifted awkwardly below James. "Er, I uh--," he ran a hand through his mop of sopping wet hair. He shrugged, grinning. "Just wanted to say hi!"

James stared. "At three in the morning?"

"There's no time like the present," Sirius told him, struggling to sit up. He was unusually fidgety.

"Sirius," James said exasperatedly. "You don't just show up at someone's house in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm and scare them out of their wits to _say hi_."

Sirius shook his head. "Yeah, sorry. Sorry I-- well, okay, I'll see you."

"Sirius?"

Sirius crawled back onto his feet and stepped toward the window. "Right well, night James; sorry hope- ah, night."

James watched his friend, attempting to figure out what in the world he was on about. His vision now aided by his glasses and some light from the moon, he made out a large rectangular object beneath the window being mercilessly splattered by the unremitting rain. "You brought your trunk?"

Sirius shifted so his luggage was out of sight. "What? No, don't be stupid. Term doesn't start for three months, I'm not that eager you know- ha ha."

James stood on his toes to peer over Sirius's head and found that it was without a doubt the trunk he brought to Hogwarts every year. "Hold on," he told Sirius, who was already partially out the window. "What's going on?"

"You know, this is the last time I'm dropping by for a cordial visit," Sirius chided. "I feel like I'm under investigation with all these questions."

James was too busy trying to figure out the situation to laugh. His eyes narrowed in thought as he glanced back at his friend, an idea surfacing. "Did you… Are you running away?"

"No!" Sirius laughed heartily. "I'm not _seven_, James."

"You are, aren't you?"

"Nope," Sirius told him, "I have a birth certificate to prove I was in fact born in 1958." James crossed his arms, staring at his friend. At the lack of response to his joke Sirius finally relented, dragging his leg off the sill and leaning against the window. "I couldn't take it anymore," he said, finding curiously that he did not know where to look, so he settled for the floor beneath him. "I just- Listen, I didn't know where else to go and I didn't really think about it, I just knew I had to get out of there and somehow, you know, ended up on your roof--,"

"No, it's all right," James cut in. Still gazing at Sirius, he asked quietly, "They didn't do anything… I mean, you're all right?"

"Sure," Sirius nodded. "Yeah. Say, I just need a place to crash for the night. If that's all right."

James was already reaching past him to heave his trunk through the window. "You'll stay more than one night," he told him firmly. "You know my parents won't mind."

"No," Sirius shook his head, but James ignored him. He reached into the rain to help pull his trunk through the window; together they managed to lug it through.

Tossing a few pillows onto the floor, James said, "Take my bed for now; mum doesn't have any sheets on the guest bed yet and I haven't a clue where she keeps them."

"Shut up," said Sirius. "I'll take the floor."

"No really," James insisted. "I've just had a highly disturbing dream and I need a change of scenery."

"You were thrashing about quite a bit over there," Sirius noticed groggily, heaving his exhausted body gratefully onto James's bed. "What was it about."

"I don't remember," said James. "But it _really_ put me in the mood for calamari."

…

"Good heavens," Mrs. Potter declared, clutching her heart in amazement. "Is that… could it be?"

Mr. Potter gaped at the rarity above his steaming mug of coffee. "It can't be our son," he said, "it isn't even noon yet!"

"Har har," James said, collapsing tiredly onto a kitchen chair. "Listen, I have to talk to you about something and I wanted to before…"

"Go ahead, dear," Mrs. Potter prompted, taking a seat beside him.

"Sirius ran away from home last night," James told them. He looked at his parents expectantly. "He can stay with us, can't he?"

"Ran away?" Mr. Potter repeated. "What happened?"

James shrugged. "He didn't really want to talk about it. But you know his parents; they must've done something terrible."

Setting down her tea and looking deeply concerned, Mrs. Potter said, "Of course he's welcome here, but... no matter how terrible the fight his parents will still be worried sick when they look into his bedroom and find him missing."

"Really doubt it, mum," James shook his head.

"I'm obliged to contact them; it's in the Parents' Unwritten Handbook," she insisted, standing up and heading toward the fireplace. "Sirius might've had a spat with them but I'm sure they wouldn't have wanted him to just get up and leave. What's his mother's name?"

"Walburga," James said, and Mrs. Potter did a double take.

"Hm. Seems like I would've remembered something like that."

"Yeah, but mum I really don't know if-," Before he could finish, his mother tossed a pinch of powder into the fireplace, kneeling before the green flames. "Walburga Black," she said loudly.

James and his father watched as she stuck her head in the fireplace. A few minutes passed as they watched her gesture in the air, the conversation soundless at this end of the fire. A short while later she pulled her head out back out of the green flames, her eyes wide.

"What did she say?" Mr. Potter asked his peculiarly silent wife.

She shook her head. Her voice was shaky but adamant when she decided firmly, "Sirius will stay with us."

…

"Is it your life's ambition to make me fat?"

"No, right now my life's ambition is to feed a dozen five year olds," Julie replied, pulling out a tray of cocoa walnut cookies- her own invention- and setting it on the stove beside two other overflowing dishes. She looked at Grace, who was already piling the gooey sweets onto her plate, raising a brow. "You don't have to eat everything, you know; actually I'd prefer that there be a few left for Rebecca's guests."

Lily ducked her head into the kitchen, pink and yellow crepe paper twisted haphazardly around her. "They're getting anxious," she said, looking frazzled.

"On with the sweets, then!" Grace declared, scooping up a tray in either hand and bracing herself before marching out of the kitchen. A multitude of tiny voices squealed at her arrival; after what seemed like only seconds later, Grace came rushing back into the kitchen, looking rather stricken as she tossed the now empty trays onto the table.

"It's rough out there," Julie said sympathetically, patting her friend on the shoulder. "Here, have this brownie for your valiant efforts."

Grace accepted the treat, collapsing onto a nearby chair. "Lily's on her own for pin the tail on the donkey," she decided, biting into the brownie.

Julie watched as her friend spat it back onto the table. "Not good?"

"Terrible," Grace sputtered.

"Hmm I guess radish and plum wasn't such a good idea."

"That's revolting," Grace affirmed with a noise of disgust. She paused. "Speaking of revolting…"

Julie looked over and saw Grace unfolding a piece of parchment. "What is that?" she asked.

Grace cleared her throat. "My beloved Julie," she began, sighing deeply. "I have taken a moment to come out of my evil lair to write you on this ickle green parchment-- a concoction of lizard and snake extracts, you know, general stuff mum has lying around the dungeon--,"

Julie deftly snatched the letter from her friend's hands. "Where do you come up with this stuff?" she asked, examining what she recognized as Graham's handwriting.

"I don't have to come up with it; I'm just reading between the lines. This is splendid," Grace said, her eyes twinkling. "The shy damsel leaps across boundaries to meet her amorous admirer and notoriously evil enemy, despite startling and reproachable differences. This is _just _like the soap opera mum was watching yesterday."

"One, he's not evil," said Julie. "Two... _amorous admirer_? We've only been corresponding about things related to our Envoy positions."

"Not from what I read..." Grace taunted.

"You're such a sneak," Julie chided, looking back at the letter. "Besides, he only said--,"

"I'm SO dreadfully bored," Grace elaborated. "Please, love of my life, come and rescue me-- Hey, where are you going?" she asked when she realized Julie had left the kitchen. "I'm just getting to the good part!"

…

"Wow," Sirius said, awestruck. He had to rub his groggy eyes several times to be certain the spectacle before him was not a mirage. In spite of the fact that the Potters had an immense kitchen, everything- every counter space, table surface, and stove top- was entirely covered with every breakfast food imaginable. "What army are you feeding?"

Mrs. Potter spun around with a large smile at the sound of his voice, wiping one powdery hand on her apron and gesturing toward the delectable food with the other. "I wasn't sure what your favorite was," she explained. "So I settled on..."

"Everything," Mr. Potter finished for her, and he was quite right.

James nodded his approval with a hungry smile, taking in the delicious atmosphere. "Oh, muffins," he said happily, reaching for a chocolate chip one.

Mrs. Potter smacked his hand away from the basket. "Those are for Sirius!"

James pulled back, looking wounded. "But--,"

"For me?" Sirius asked confusedly.

"Certainly," Mrs. Potter said enthusiastically. "We want you to feel welcome." Out of the corner of her eye she noticed James handling a plate of steaming bacon. "Thank you, dear," she said briskly, taking the plate from his hands and holding it out for Sirius.

James pouted, looking to his father for support. Mr. Potter shrugged, motioning to his own empty plate. "Don't look at me."

Sirius absently took a strip of bacon. "I'm only staying the day," he said, glancing at James. He had a feeling the boy had already briefed his parents about the situation.

"Nonsense," Mrs. Potter waved her hand, handing him several more pieces of bacon. "Mr. Potter and I would love to have you stay with us, and I'm certain James would enjoy it. Right, James?"

She looked at her son, who peered back guiltily, frozen over a suspiciously short stack of pancakes and his cheeks bulging. "Romphg," he affirmed, swallowing hard.

Mrs. Potter shook her head sternly, but before she could say anything Sirius cut in with his own thoughts. "Listen, I really appreciate it. I just…"

"Sirius," Mr. Potter cut in, holding up his hands. "Before you say anything, we've got something to show you. I think it's time…" he looked at his wife and nodded toward the stairs.

"Yes, of course," Mrs. Potter nodded, taking Sirius by the arm and leading him toward the staircase.

James looked at his father with interest and they followed the pair, but he just shrugged. He had a very peculiar family.

"Ah…" Sirius began uncertainly. He looked at James, but his friend looked as out of the loop as he was. "I'm not sure--,"

"Just come with me, dear." Still confused but interested, Sirius followed the lady up the winding staircase and through their second floor hall. A bit breathless from the hurried trip, Mrs. Potter stopped before their guest room and opened the door. The boys took in the room with surprise; it had been extremely modified from the simple design it had previously adorned- every inch of the plain guest room had been altered to comfortably accommodate a sixteen year old wizard. Among the most startling changes was the red and gold bedding akin to James's which had replaced paisley trimmed sheets and curtains, and where pastel paintings of flowers had previously lined the walls, now hung posters of the latest quidditch players and techniques.

"We tried to fill the room with everything you might like," Mr. Potter explained. "If there's anything at all that you would want to make staying with us more comfortable--,"

"No," Sirius said, looking around the room in shock. "I- I don't think you could fit anything else in here," he added dazedly.

"Sirius," Mrs. Potter said softly, putting her hand on the stunned boy's shoulder. "We would be more than happy if you chose to stay with us. You wouldn't be imposing in the least, I assure you."

"Well," said Sirius, pulling his attention away from the room's adornments and toward her, laughing weakly. "Morning feasts and my own palace, how could I resist?" Mrs. Potter nearly knocked the wind out of him when she immediately pulled him into a tight hug. Sirius smiled, dropping his head so his chin rested on her shoulder. "Thanks."

…

"So," said Lily, who was presently helping a little boy with curly blonde hair decorate his cupcake. "Word on the street is you're in the middle of an inter-house fling."

Julie sighed, tossing a jar of sprinkles from one hand to the other. "Please," she begged, struggling to open the jar. "Don't tell me _you_ believe Grace's stories."

Lily smiled. "I think he's nice," she said, handing Julie a knife to work the jar's edges. "For a Slytherin, at least."

"Lily!" Julie admonished. "Of all people--,"

"I was only joking," Lily hurriedly assured her. Her lip tweaked. "Aren't we defensive?"

"No," Julie said, well, defensively. Her cheeks flushed and she drew her eyes downward, fiddling with the sprinkles. "It doesn't matter anyway," she said quietly, concentrating excessively hard on separating the candies by color. "In case you hadn't noticed, I haven't much luck with-- oh!" she shrieked suddenly; the little boy Lily was helping had leaned on a large tube of purple frosting, sending the sugary substance streaming in her direction.

Lily brought a hand to her mouth, gaping at her friend. Julie blinked, drawing a hand upward to touch her hair and meeting a large, sticky glob that dripped past her headband and down her forehead. Grimacing, she stood up. "I think I'm going to make use of that sprinkler outside," she decided, heading blindly toward the door.

Julie stumbled her way through the doorway and had just stepped onto the porch, when she let out a shriek that sent Lily hurrying outside to see what was the matter. "Is everything-- oh," she cut off, cringing.

"Ah," Graham said, tilting his head as he examined the very goopy girl before him. "Er, hello."

Julie discovered that her voice had managed to disappear entirely. "Mugph," she whimpered.

"Going for a new look?" He asked, laughing weakly. When Julie continued to gap at him soundlessly, he said, "I'm sorry; I mentioned in a letter that I might stop by sometime and my mum's friend had a wedding in Tilbury, so…"

When Julie still failed to put a coherent sentence together, Lily stepped forward and put her hands on her friend's shoulders. "We're having a party for Julie's little sister," she explained. She gestured toward her very sticky, purple friend. "And we've discovered five-year-olds are not to be trusted with frosting. Er, we're going to go clean up..." Spinning Julie around, she steered her back into the house and called over her shoulder, "Be back in a bit!"

…

"It figures," Julie said, running a brush roughly through her now frosting-free hair. "It just _figures_."

"Don't worry about it," Lily comforted, shifting through Julie's dresser in search of a barrette. "I'm sure Grace is keeping him entertained downstairs."

"Oh _great_," Julie said, shrinking onto her bed. Lily laughed and sat down beside her, bringing the brush and hair clasp with her. "My hair is poofy," Julie remarked somberly, catching a glimpse of her reflection in a mirror.

"Your hair is lovely," Lily amended, fastening one of the clips into her hair. "I'm sure Graham wouldn't mind if your hair were green; he traveled all this way to see you."

Julie shook her head. "He had that wedding in Tilbury…"

"Tilbury is two hours from here," Lily reminded her, smiling. "Come on," she prompted, "Let's go."

She beckoned Julie toward the staircase and the girls descended to the first floor; taking a breath, Julie headed back to the porch- she stopped before reaching the door, however, when her sister shouted her name. Spinning around, she saw the little girl bouncing toward her with a noisemaker and streamers in her hands; Graham sat behind her, grinning sheepishly beneath a gold spotted party hat. "Your sister decorated me," he informed her, pointing toward his head.

"Oh," Julie giggled. "Sorry."

"Quite all right," Graham assured her, running his fingers through the silver fringe lining its edges. "I think it's rather dashing."

"The parents all came to reclaim their little monkeys," said Grace wearily, resting her head on her folded arms. "I need a nap."

"I could go for a doze myself," Lily said, taking Rebecca's hand and looking meaningfully at Julie. "We can clean up the place later."

"Oh," Julie said, watching Lily ascend the staircase. "Well um, how about I show you around, Graham?"

"Oh, sure," Graham stood up beside her, sliding the hat off his head and setting it on the table. "Sounds great."

"All right." Julie fought to suppress her nerves as she fumbled with her sandals. She hopped on one foot, fixing the other, and finally headed toward the door. "Er, follow me!"

After departing her yard through the walk that winded across her lawn, the two set off on the dusty road adjacent to her driveway. "It's a muggle area, right?" Graham asked, taking in the very few houses that lined the road.

"Right," Julie replied, nodding. "But there's not many; the whole population is probably smaller than Hogwarts'."

"Sounds exciting," Graham joked.

"It's not going to be a very thrilling tour," Julie warned him. She looked around, pausing. "Well um, here is the stop sign."

"Remarkable," Graham nodded.

"And… around this corner is the pond," Julie said, stopping by the small body of water."Er, over there is a tree--,"

"Happening hangout, is it?"

Julie laughed nervously. "Actually the town's pride and joy is a wishing well a little ways down the road--"

"Well that- that certainly sounds like a must see," said Graham; just as Julie set off in the direction she had pointed out, he grabbed her arm with one hand, looking at his watch on the other. "But… maybe another time. I've got to get going, actually."

"Oh." Julie's heart sunk. She was boring him endlessly, she could see it in his eyes. "All right," she nodded, heading back to her house instead. "I'll just fetch your broomstick."

"Back so soon?" Lily asked, looking up from the picture she and Rebecca were coloring.

Julie shook her head, searching for Graham's broom. "It was awful; I was so nervous I couldn't think of anything witty to say and I-- I blew it, Lily," she said, looking forlorn.

"You're too hard on yourself," Grace said from the staircase. "I'm sure you were charming."

"It hasn't even been ten minutes!" Julie exclaimed, shoving her shoes of somberly and tossing them beneath the stairs. She reached for the broomstick she spotted leaning against its base. "I think--."

"Is that mine?" Graham asked, appearing in the doorway.

"Wha- oh," Julie looked at the broomstick in her hand. "Yeah," she said softly.

"Thanks," Graham said, walking toward her. He hesitated before grabbing it, shifting his weight awkwardly. "I- I would stay, you know, I just have to get back to Tilbury for the reception…"

Julie nodded. "Right," she forced a smile. "Of course." She handed the broom to Graham and he held it lightly in his hands, turning it absently.

"You could er, you could come with me if you'd like."

Julie blinked. "What?"

"The reception," Graham reminded her. "She said- er, the bride- she said I could bring a… a companion if I wanted to, and…" When Julie only stared at him, he continued uncertainly, "There ah, there will be music and… food--,"

"Splendid, you'd never know it but Julie _loves_ food," Grace said enthusiastically, referring to Julie's petite frame and her contradictorily large appetite.

"_And_ music," Lily added with a large smile.

"Oh… yes," Julie finally spoke, shaking her head slowly. "I do."

Graham's lips turned into a relieved smile. "Wonderful."

Grace thrust a robe at Julie and Lily opened the door, ushering them onto the porch. "Have fun!" she called.

"But not too much fun," Grace said with a grin. She closed the door and stood on her toes to watch the two descend the porch stairs. "Our little Julie is growing up," she sighed.

"It was bound to happen eventually," Lily comforted, putting an arm around her friend's shoulders.

The door swung open suddenly and Julie reappeared, looking frazzled. "Here you go," Grace said, holding out her shoes.

Julie smiled sheepishly and gave an excited wave, backing once more out the door. "Thanks!"

Grace shook her head. "What would you do without us?"

Julie grinned. "I have absolutely no idea."

…

**A/N**: Thanks so much for all of your reviews! I'm going off to college in a week (and I have MAJOR packing to do) but I will do my best to maintain quick updates. Thanks for reading!


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